


Apex Jump: A Roller Derby Love Story

by Bootsncatz (bootsncatz)



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roller Derby, Because Bi-nonna, F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, One Shot, Roller Derby, Wayhaught - Freeform, Wynonna is a little gay in this, because I always make her a little gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-04-30 22:42:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 24,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14507076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bootsncatz/pseuds/Bootsncatz
Summary: Nicole (aka Haught Wheels) is the newest shining star for Purgatory Roller Derby. Wynonna (aka Bloody Mary) is the star player for her team and thinks Haught is her biggest rival. Waverly decides to join to make a point with her sister and...maybe a to get closer to Nicole.





	1. Prologue - The Rules

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all!
> 
> Welcome to my super special roller derby one shot! I'm surprised it's taken me this long to write one. I've played roller derby for a little over five years now and have seen all the crazy drama and insanity that goes on both on and off the track. So I thought I'd put it all together in one Wayhaught fic! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> As always, special shout out to my friend, [theGayNerd](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd). My first beta who stalked me until we became friends (not really...but maybe). Also special thanks to my beta [LuckyWantsToKnow](https://twitter.com/iamthegaynerd). Thank you both for reading through all this crazy roller derby action and not telling me I was crazy.

**From the Woman’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Website.**

Summary of Flat Track Roller Derby:

The game of Flat Track Roller Derby is played on a flat, oval track. Play is broken up into two 30-minute periods, and within those periods, into units of play called “Jams,” which last up to two minutes. There are 30 seconds between each Jam.

During a Jam, each team fields up to five Skaters. Four of these Skaters are called “Blockers” (together, the Blockers are called the “Pack”), and one is called a “Jammer.” The Jammer wears a helmet cover with a star on it.

The two Jammers start each Jam behind the Pack, and score a point for every opponent they lap, each lap. Because they start behind the Pack, they must get through the Pack, then all the way around the track to be ready to score points on opposing Blockers.

Roller derby is a full-contact sport; however, Skaters cannot use their heads, elbows, forearms, hands, knees, lower legs, or feet to make contact to opponents. Skaters cannot make contact to opponents’ heads, backs, knees, lower legs, or feet.

Play that is unsafe or illegal may result in a Skater being assessed a penalty, which is served by sitting in the Penalty Box for 30 seconds of Jam time.

The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

A common Jam might go like this:  
\- Blockers line up behind the Pivot Line and in front of the Jammer Line.

\- Jammers line up behind the Jammer Line.

\- At the Jam-Starting Whistle, the Blockers skate forward and compete for superior position. The Jammers skate forward and try to get through the Pack. Each Blocker simultaneously tries to prevent the opposing Jammer from getting past, and to help their own Jammer get through.

\- One Jammer exits the Pack and is declared Lead Jammer, earning the right to end the Jam when they decide. This Jammer races around the track to get into scoring position.

\- The same Jammer begins to work their way through the Pack for the second time, and the opposing Jammer makes their way out of the Pack for the first time.

\- As the second Jammer to escape the Pack comes around into scoring position, the first Jammer calls off the Jam.

\- The first Jammer has scored several points (up to four), and held their opponent at zero points. Meanwhile, the opposing Jammer (by getting into scoring position) held the first Jammer at only those points, as they could have scored more points on subsequent passes.

[You can also watch the video here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=55&v=OId6gTd2LCM)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that you have the rules, back to the actual story! Enjoy. :)

Waverly sighed as she wiped down the counter of Shorty’s. It was only the beginning of her opening shift which mostly meant cleaning. Probably the easiest but most tedious part of her job. But it wasn’t so bad when she put on the jukebox and let her mind wander.

She finished up the counters and moved on to the beer taps. Singing softly to the song, she had just begun to wipe the second tap when the handle slipped down and started spewing beer all over her. Waverly sputtered in surprise, slapping futilely at the tap handle for a moment before she finally got it shut off. But the damage was done. Her tank top was soaked through with beer. Waverly patted uselessly at her chest with the bar towel as she sighed in frustration.

“Great,” she said under her breath, looking down at her now see-through garment. At least she had her Shorty’s shirt to change into.

“I didn’t know Shorty’s had wet t-shirt competitions,” came a teasing voice from the door.

Waverly looked up, a blush dusting her cheeks as she took in the tall slender form leaning against the doorway. A woman with a head of red hair and long limbs regarded her with a cocky smile. She was wearing black athletic capris and had on a tight blue jersey that hugged her just right.

Waverly blinked at her, her mouth suddenly dry. 

“Are you okay?” the other woman asked as she pushed off the door and started walking towards the bar.

“I um-...yeah. Just a bit jumpy,” Waverly said when she finally found her voice. “I had a crazy night.”

The taller woman rested both of her elbows on the bar as she leaned closer to Waverly, who was still keenly aware of how her wet shirt clung to her.

“Sorry I wasn’t here to see it,” the woman said with a smile that made two dimples appear on her cheeks. 

Waverly swooned.

“I came to see if I could leave some fliers here,” the woman said holding up a stack. Waverly looked at the two girls in pads and skates on the front and her mind finally clicked. She noticed that one girl’s jersey had “Purgatory Roller Derby” embossed above a logo of a shotgun and spurs. Under the logo it read “Calamity Janes”.

The fliers were the same ones that Wynonna had dropped off at Shorty’s earlier. She just dropped a stack haphazardly on the bar and said something about fulfilling her league mob squad duty before ordering a whiskey.

Wynonna had been playing for a year and Waverly had been to a few games but didn’t remember seeing the redhead before.

“Of course you can leave some,” Waverly said, hoping she didn’t see the ones scattered on the other side of the bar. She held out her hand for them and the other woman dropped a small stack in it, their fingers brushing and sending an unexpected shiver up Waverly’s spine.

Waverly made a show of looking at them and leaned her own elbows on the top of the bar to bring them just that little bit closer. Plus, admittedly, she knew her posture helped display some of her better...assets. She bit her lip when she noticed Nicole’s eyes dart down to her chest ever so briefly.

“So you play roller derby?” Waverly asked with a tilt of her head, “What’s your derby name?”

“I do. Just transferred from my old league. And um.” The other woman blushed a little as she chuckled, looking down at the bar surface and back up at Waverly. “Name’s Haught Wheels. But you can call me Haught.”

“Hot Wheels?” Waverly asked.

She turned around to show Waverly the back of her jersey. ‘Haught Wheels’ printed in white with the number ‘7’ under it. Though Waverly spent more time marveling the lines of Nicole’s back muscles flexing as she pointed to the writing.

 _“Haught_ Wheels,” Waverly clarified as the other woman turned back around.

“My last name in the real world,” Haught said with a wink. Waverly felt her entire body heat up from the inside out.

“Well, you can call me Waverly,” she said a almost breathlessly as she held her hand out. Haught took it, brown eyes never leaving hazel. As soon as their hands connected Waverly felt the air leave her lungs.

“Nice to meet you, Waverly,” Haught said, holding onto her hand for just a beat too long. As Haught dropped her hand and Waverly took hers back, the redhead spoke up again. “Can I see you at the game then, Waverly? Saturday?”

Waverly stared for a moment before rambling again. “Oh! I um-...maybe I would love to-...like to. I just-...I um m-might have plans. I’m a planner.”

Haught’s smile only got wider the more Waverly blushed and rambled. Why would she even say that? She’s a planner? The only thing she did was make herself look like a total nerd.

“Well, I don’t usually say this to a lady, but I hope your plans get cancelled,” Haught said standing up. “If they do, can I see you there?”

“Y-yeah,” Waverly said as Haught started walking backwards towards the door. Her brain struggled to find something she could stay to make the other woman stick around for even just a moment longer but came up blank. 

“See you then, Waverly,” Haught said turning back around as she walked up the steps to the exit, before throwing one last smile over her shoulder.

Waverly just smiled like a love sick school girl as Haught walked out the door, the wood swinging closed behind her. Only then did Waverly feel herself breathe again. She looked down at the fliers in her hand. The picture was of Wynonna in a red jersey and a star cover on her helmet skating out of a group of skaters.

“Right,” Waverly said biting her bottom lip between her teeth. She would talk to Wynonna about getting her a ticket when she got home that night.

***

Waverly fidgeted with the edge of her skirt as she walked up towards the warehouse. One of the large metal doors on the side was rolled up to reveal the track inside the building. A few girls were skating on the track, practicing their stops and hits on each other. She smiled brightly as she walked up to the girl sitting at a table set up at the door and taking tickets.

“Hello,” Waverly said, “I should have a ticket for me under Wyno-...from Bloody Mary.”

The other girl’s eyes got wide for a moment and she leaned forward a little. “Do you know her?”

“She’s my sister,” Waverly said, unsure if she should be proud or embarrassed about what the girl was going to say next. It really could go either way with Wynonna.

“She’s so good,” the girl continued dreamily, as she looked down at a list and crossed off Wynonna’s derby name with a little ‘+1’ next to it. “And scary. Is she like that at home too?”

Waverly suppressed a giggle, “For the most part, yes.”

The girl looked awestruck as Waverly held out her wrist for a wristband. 

“She’s so cool,” the girl said under her breath as she secured the wristband. She looked back up at Waverly, awestruck. “Have a good time.”

With a final smile, Waverly walked into the warehouse. There were strings of lights hanging all across the ceiling and a disco ball in the middle reflecting light down on the stands and track. The track was in the middle, laid out with simple tape, and there were four bleachers, two on each long side of the track. On the left of the entrance behind the bleachers were tables set up with people selling team merchandise and a recruitment table. There was also a small bar in the corner that had a sizeable line. 

Waverly had been here once before with Wynonna but the bleachers weren’t set up at the time. Wynonna had hurt her arm and couldn’t ride her bike so Waverly drove her to practice one of the days. 

Her eyes scanned the warehouse and saw a door that she knew led to a smaller part of the place that had two separate locker rooms as well as a small office with a couch, fridge, and anything else people might need as far as medical supplies.

It wasn’t a big space or a fancy space, but it fit the theme of the sport and the skaters or spectators never seemed to complain as far as Waverly could tell.

There were a lot of people walking around and looking at the merch tables and some girls skating around with “Ask me about roller derby!” buttons on. Waverly figured Wynonna and Haught Wheels were probably in their respective locker rooms. Not that she was looking for Haught. Obviously. 

Waverly was just here to support her sister and if she happened to see Haught then...so be it. She began towards the bleachers and found a seat halfway up one just as the announcer came over the speaker.

_“Hello, Purgatory! How is everyone doing tonight?”_

People began filling up the stands as they cheered, and Waverly took in the crowd.

_“Are you ready for some hard hitting derby girl action tonight folks?”_

The crowd cheered again and Waverly joined them.

_”Purgatory Roller Derby wants to thank you for coming out tonight. So help us to introduce, your Purgatory Peacemakers!_

The crowd went crazy as the team poured from the locker room and onto the flat cement track. Waverly squinted and saw Wynonna skating around in the middle of the pack, waving with the rest of the girls. Their uniforms were vaguely western themed. Red jerseys with little sheriff looking stars printed over the heart. There were two crossed revolvers on the front of their jerseys with “Purgatory Roller Derby” above it and “Peacemakers” below the logo. Some girls wore red bandanas around their necks and others had them under their helmets.

Waverly yelled for her sister who looked up into the crowd as she passed Waverly and winked at her. Waverly waved back and clapped. After one last lap, they all went to their bench and stood in front of it, waiting for the other team.

_”And don’t forget to give the love to the champs, three years in a row, the Purgatory Roller Derby Calamity Janes!”_

If possible, the crowd got even louder. Some stood on their feet and stomped as the other team came from the locker room and skated around the track. Waverly couldn’t have missed the shock of red hair under a blue helmet if she tried. She felt her cheeks heat up as she watched Nicole skate around the track in the same uniform she’d seen her wearing in Shorty’s just the day before.

Waverly couldn’t help but think that her black athletic pants really hugged her body wonderfully. She blushed at just the thought and the blush only deepened when Haught looked up in the bleachers and made eye contact with her. Waverly felt like an electric shock had hit her heart and when Nicole smiled her stomach dropped.

“Oh no,” Waverly breathed out as her eyes followed Nicole skating over to her bench with the rest of the team. She had it bad. Waverly forced herself to look away as the first pack took its place at the jam line. Four blockers from the Peacemakers lined up on the line and four from the Calamity Janes lined up in front of them, including Nicole who was wearing a jam pantie on her head. The Calamity Janes’ jammer was already behind the pack, star pantie on her helment, as Wynonna casually skated next to her with her own star on her helmet.

_”On the jam line, we have Bloody Mary with the Peacemakers and Lezzy Borden for the Calamity Janes.”_

Wynonna started far behind the other jammer as if surveying the scene. The other jammer looked nervously over her shoulder at Wynonna until she skated up next to her. Wynonna stood next Lezzy Borden and got in her derby stance, knees bent and chest high even as she stared down the other woman. 

Waverly saw the coach of the Peacemakers, Dolls, shouting something at Wynonna. She looked at him and shrugged before going back to her stance. Dolls shook his head and walked back to the bench, clearly already giving up on whatever he had tried to tell Wynonna.

Waverly chuckled to herself at what was undoubtedly some kind of power move.

“Five seconds!” one of the referees shouted as he looked down at his watch. The warehouse was silent for a moment before the whistle blew and the two jammers took off. Almost immediately Wynonna slammed into the other jammer and pushed her off the track. Lezzy went tumbling just as Wynonna took off and hit the pack at full force. The Calamity Janes’ blockers practically flew forward, but Haught flipped to face them. She braced them, hands on the shoulders of two of her other blockers as they did their best to contain Wynonna. The Peacemaker blockers formed a wall in front of Lezzy as she skated back onto the track.

_”Looks like Bloody Mary is going one on one with Haught at the front of the pack!”_

Waverly’s eyes snapped back to the front of the pack where Haught was facing Wynonna, chest to chest. Haught cocked her shoulder back and snapped it back forward to hit Wynonna square in the chest. She stumbled back with the force of the hit, gasps coming from the crowd. But Wynonna caught herself on her toe stop and charged full force into Haught, who tripped a little but managed to stay upright as Wynonna charged forward.

The referee whistled and shouted, “Out of play!”

Haught stopped blocking Wynonna, throwing her hands up in the air as proof as Wynonna skated past her. Another whistle sounded and one of the jam referees held his arms in an ‘L’ shape as he pointed at Wynonna who skated around the track back towards the back of the pack.

_”And Bloody Mary is lead jammer! But it looks like Lezzy Borden is close behind, just making her way out of the pack!”_

Waverly watched as the two walls of blockers reformed themselves as their jammers went around the track. Wynonna looked behind her and saw Lezzy about twenty feet back. Waverly sat on the edge of her seat as Wynonna sprinted towards the back of the pack, the Calamity Janes’ blockers positioned just perfectly on the turn of the track. Wynonna moved towards the right side of the track but then quickly diverted to the inside and jumped the corner of the track, completely bypassing all the Calamity Jane blockers and collecting her points. Before Lezzy could get to the pack, Wynonna lifted both hands in the air and bent her arms to hit her hands to her hips several times to signal that she wanted to end the jam.

Four sharp whistles from the referees rang out in the warehouse.

 _”And Bloody Mary calls off the jam after that impressive apex jump! Collecting all four of her points while Lezzy Borden skates away with none. Bloody better hope that Lezzy doesn’t go to her place with an axe tonight!”_

Waverly clapped for her sister and settled back into her seat. Throughout the rest of the bout, Waverly couldn’t help but follow Nicole with her eyes. Waverly could tell that she was strong and one of the track leads, her teammates looking to her for direction on the track. It also didn’t help that as the game went on, more strands of hair started to fall from Nicole’s helmet and stick to her face in a way that was indescribably attractive. 

At half time, Waverly watched Nicole take her helmet off. Red hair fell into her face and she tipped her head back as she pushed her fingers through the damp stands. Waverly felt herself flush at the sight and suddenly decided she needed alcohol. She went to the bar and got herself a drink before going back to the bleachers just as the second half started.

The score was close. The Calamity Janes had one hundred and thirty-four points and the Peacemakers had one hundred and thirty points. There were only twenty seconds left on the game clock and all the Peacemakers needed was one scoring pass and the Janes to be shut down in order to win.

Wynonna was back on the line as a jammer and Haught was pivoting, with Lezzy Borden back to jamming. Two of Haught’s blockers were in the box along with one of Wynonna’s. The collective of five blockers on the track were completely focused on the two jammers on the line. Nicole braced the shoulder of her blocker and looked directly at Wynonna. Waverly watched how Haught’s fingers tapped nervously on the shoulder of her blocker and she bounced on her toes, ready to pounce at any second.

Waverly’s nerves twisted in her stomach as the referee announced five seconds before the whistle. She had seen Wynonna take a few big hits through the game, a good number of those from Haught. It seemed pretty clear that Haught was always the last line of defense between Wynonna and scoring points which meant that she was going to gun for her in this last jam to keep the Calamity Janes on top.

The whistle blew and Wynonna launched herself shoulder first into Haught’s sternum. Haught’s shoulder jerked into Wynonna and knocked her off balance for a moment just long enough for Haught’s other blocker to sweep Wynonna to the edge of the track. 

_”Blood went in hot there! No doubt trying to get lead so she can even up that score in the last jam. But Haught and Brawl stopped her in her tracks!”_

Haught curled her body and knocked Wynonna again. Wynonna’s skate lifted as she tried to stay in bounds but she stumbled to the side and as soon as her skate went out of bounds, Haught sprinted back towards the pivot line to draw Wynonna all the way back on the track. 

_”Oh! And Haught is driving Blood all the way back! That’s gotta smart!”_

Wynonna looked mad. Really mad. But she sprinted back just outside the track so she could enter legally behind Haught. This gave Lezzy enough time to get out of the pack and get lead jammer. 

_”And just like that! Lezzy is lead jammer! This might be it, folks!”_

Waverly could see Wynonna curse out loud as she entered the track behind Haught. But since Lezzy had lead jammer, she called off the jam just as the rest of the Peacemaker’s blockers got out of the box and rejoined their team on the track.

The four whistles sounded just as Wynonna made a hit on Haught. Haught counter blocked Wynonna and she went stumbling backwards onto the ground. 

_”Lezzy has called off the jam! Freezing the score and leaving the Calamity Janes in the lead by only four points! But we’ll wait for the official final score to call it.”_

As the teams stopped playing and looked at the scoreboard, Haught straightened up and held her hand out to help Wynonna stand. Wynonna stared at her hand for a moment before accepting it. Waverly rolled her eyes as Wynonna tugged a little harder than necessary on Haught’s hand as she got up.

_”And that’s it, everyone! The Calamity Janes have won the first bout of the season!”_

The Calamity Janes crowded together at their bench to celebrate the narrow victory, but Haught paused and said something to Wynonna, clapping her on the shoulder. Haught smiled at Wynonna and Waverly felt her own heart flutter. Wynonna skated back to her bench as some of Haught’s teammates skated up to her and started clapping her back and congratulating her on a good game.

_”After this we have an exhibition bout for the Purgatory Junior Roller Derby team which is basically a bunch of kittens being cute and hitting each other. Also, next week we’ll have a bout again the Revenants and Banditos! You won’t want to miss that!”_

Waverly stood up with the rest of the crowd, feeling the effects of her drink for the first time. She blinked as she found her balance and made her way down the bleachers with the rest of the crowd. All the players were still standing around their benches and mingling as the juniors took the track. 

When she got to the bottom of the bleachers, her eyes immediately met Haught’s across the warehouse. Her heart leapt into her throat and when Haught smiled, dimples on full display, Waverly’s head felt light from more than alcohol.

“Hey, Waves,” Wynonna stepped in front of her at that moment and broke her gaze from Haught.

“Wynonna,” Waverly said throwing her arms around her sister’s shoulders as best she could with her being even taller on her skates, “You did great!”

Wynonna reluctantly hugged back, patting her sister on the back as she scoffed. “I lost us the damn game.”

“It’s only the first one of the season, right?” Waverly said releasing her sister and wrinkling her nose, “You smell awful by the way.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I stunk up the track in more ways than one then,” Wynonna said running a hand through her sweaty hair, “Though the new girl is certainly on my shit list now.”

Waverly found herself fiddling with the end of her skirt again. “Haught?”

Wynonna grumbled and looked over her shoulder at the other team. “Whatever. We’ll get them at the next game.”

Waverly looked back up and Nicole was gone. She cursed to herself and pushed some hair behind her ear as she scanned the warehouse for red hair. When she turned back around, a blonde woman was skating up to them. She was wearing a Peacemakers jersey and didn’t seem to notice Waverly at all as she slung her arm around Wynonna’s shoulders.

“Hey, good game, Blood,” she said. Wynonna turned and smirked at the other woman, putting her own arm around her waist.

“Thanks, you didn’t do too bad yourself,” Wynonna said. She nodded towards Waverly. “This is my sister, Waverly. Waverly, Shapiro.”

The other woman finally looked at her and Waverly gave her an amused smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Shapiro said before looking back at Wynonna, “Are you going to the locker room?”

“Yeah,” Wynonna said before turning to Waverly and asking, “I’m going to go degear. Can you get me a drink?” 

“Sure,” Waverly said grateful for the opportunity to look around for the redhead. Wynonna skated off with Shapiro and Waverly walked through the warehouse towards the bar at the back. She ordered their drinks and as she was walking past the vendor tables she stopped short. Haught was standing at the recruitment table talking to a little girl. She was crouching down to be at the little girl’s level. A wide smile was on both of their faces as the little girl flexed her arm muscle and Haught pretended to feel it.

Waverly was sure she swooned. 

Haught handed the girl a flier and she walked away with her mother as Haught straightened up. Waverly did a quick scan of herself to make sure she looked put together as she started down the middle of the tables. She pretended to be looking forward as she walked, a little extra sway in her step as she went.

“Waverly?” she heard Haught call as she was passing the table.

Waverly pretended to be surprised and look for the source of the voice before her eyes landed on Haught. She smiled widely.

“Hi!” Waverly said walking over to the recruitment table, “How are you?”

“Better now,” Haught said not hiding how her eyes scanned over Waverly’s form, “I’m glad you came. And aren’t wet this time.”

Waverly thought how maybe that wasn’t necessarily true and felt a blush reach all the way up to the tips of her ears. She giggled, head tipping to the side.

“I’m glad you came too,” she blushed deeper as she began to ramble, “I mean-...you know I’m glad I-...thank you for inviting me.”

Haught smiled even wider and Waverly felt herself getting distracted by her dimples. “Are both of those for you or is one for your boyfriend?”

“No, I don’t have a boyfriend,” Waverly said quickly, “Or-...girlfriend. Or any...sexual partner-...I mean...I’m a...my sister skates.”

“Oh, she does?” Haught asked, “On what team?”

Waverly opened her mouth to answer just as Wynonna threw her arm around her shoulders, making the drinks spill a little over her hands. 

“Hey, baby girl,” Wynonna said taking her drink. She squinted up at Haught as she took a long sip, “Haught here telling you how she got away with that illegal hit at the end of the game there?”

“Wynonn-...Blood is my sister,” Waverly said with a stiff smile. Her sister always had the worst timing. Or the best as Wynonna considered it.

“Yeah, so back off my _baby_ sister, Haught Pants,” Wynonna said tightening her arm around Waverly’s shoulders.

Waverly rolled her eyes and stepped away from Wynonna, her cheeks an embarrassing shade of red. The last thing she needed was Wynonna to blow her cover or humiliate her in front of Haught.

“If you must know, _Blood_ , I was thinking of joining,” Waverly lied. 

Wynonna practically cackled and Waverly crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest.

“Excuse me? Why are you laughing?” Waverly said turning towards her sister.

Wynonna wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and shook her head. “Baby girl, I love you but...come on. You’re just so...Waverly.”

Waverly scoffed and turned towards Haught who just looked slightly concerned, eyes wide. “Do you think I could do it?”

“Um-”

“See, she said yes.”

Wynonna laughed even harder, “She didn’t say anything!”

Waverly walked up to the table, picked up the pen and wrote her name on the recruitment clipboard. She smiled up at Haught. “When’s the first practice?”

“This Saturday,” Nicole said with a smile just as big as Waverly’s, “I’ll see you there?”

Waverly nodded once. “Definitely.”

***

“Wynonna!” Waverly called, pushing open her sister’s bedroom door. Wynonna didn’t even look up from her phone as she lounged on the bed.

“What?”

“Let me borrow your old skates.” 

Wynonna let her phone drop to her chest. “You know you don’t have to do this. If you’re trying to prove something...”

Waverly frowned at her sister, “I’m not trying to prove anything. Not to you anyways.”

“So Waverly ‘Head Cheerleader’ Earp, voted nicest person in Purgatory, is joining roller derby for _fun_?” Wynonna said incredulously.

Waverly just nodded curtly. Maybe that wasn’t the _only_ reason but it certainly wasn’t the reason Wynonna was thinking. It had been a week since Waverly went to the derby game and she couldn’t help but think about Haught way more often then she’d like to admit. Mostly about how pretty she was and her dimples and the way her voice wrapped around her like a warm blanket…

Waverly blushed at the thought.

“I’m joining because I want to try something new,” Waverly said matter-of-factly.

Wynonna looked hard at Waverly for a moment and she tried not to squirm under her gaze. She sighed and picked her phone up. “Fine. My old skates and equipment are in the attic.”

Waverly squealed in excitement and ran over to Wynonna. She hugged her as best she could with Wynonna on the bed and kissed her cheek. Wynonna gagged and pretended to push Waverly away even though she could see the hint of a smile on her sister’s face.

***

The strap of the duffle bag dug painfully into Waverly’s shoulder as it bounced against her hip while she walked up to the warehouse. Nerves fluttered in her stomach and she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

She was excited, but also terrified.

She knew she was in good shape. She did yoga every morning and had done cheerleading all through high school. Waverly was small, but strong. But this was about more than physical strength. She could see it in the way Wynonna would hobble home sometimes with a dejected look on her face.

The warehouse looked different in the morning. The big side doors weren’t rolled up, just the normal door halfway open. She walked in, her eyes adjusting from the bright sun outside to the darker lighting of the warehouse. The bleachers were all folded away so that the warehouse was just one large flat surface with the track taped down to the middle of it. The string lights were off and just the normal fluorescent lights flickered overhead.

To her right were a group of girls sitting around and chatting, their own equipment bags next to them. Waverly saw Haught skating around the track casually with another girl, a little shorter than her with tan skin and dark hair. Waverly knew her because she helped out at Shorty’s every so often, but she only knew her as Rosita. She caught sight of the back of her jersey and read ‘Marie Fury’.

Waverly sat down on the cold concrete floor with the rest of the girls and started putting her equipment on. She sat next to a girl with long curly brown hair who smiled over at her.

“Hi,” she said, “I’m Waverly.”

“Becky,” the other girl replied as she slipped her elbow pads on, “This is your first Unicorn practice, yeah?”

“Unicorn?” Waverly asked as she slipped on Wynonna’s skates.

Becky rolled her eyes, “They thought it was demeaning to call it Fresh Meat so they changed the name to Unicorns. Because everyone fucking loves unicorns, am I right?”

Waverly chuckled and nodded, “I would say you’re right about that.”

“You all have five minutes to put your gear on!” Haught called from the track. Waverly snapped her head up at the sound of Haught’s voice. Their eyes met and Waverly smiled widely at her. Haught returned the smile before skating backwards onto the track.

Waverly sighed and saw Becky looking at her with a knowing smile. Waverly just looked back down at her skates silently to finish lacing them up. After she was fully geared up, Waverly stood up...far too quickly. Her skates threatened to slip out from under her and she stumbled backwards. 

A strong hand caught her arm and kept her upright, Waverly’s heart beating out of her chest. She looked up and saw Haught looking down at her with some concern.

“Are you okay?” Haught asked with a slightly amused smile.

Waverly blushed, “Yeah. I’m...I used to rollerblade a lot but-”

“Yeah, quads are different,” Haught said slowly releasing Waverly’s arm to make sure she could stay upright, “I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time. I heard your sister just threw on skates and became a star. Is that true?”

Waverly rolled her eyes as she widened her stance a little to make sure she was more stable. “That’s true. And she won’t let me forget it.”

Haught chuckled and winked at Waverly. “I’m sure you’ll be a superstar in no time too.”

Waverly thought she might fall again.

***

Waverly’s first practice went fairly well. They started off with laps and Waverly noted that she definitely wasn’t the worst on her skates. Then they all stood in a circle as they stretched and introduced themselves and their pronouns. That’s how Waverly found out that Marie Fury, or Fury as she went by, was on another home team called The Revenants.

More times than Waverly would like to admit, she found her mind wandering while Haught was explaining a drill or skill. Mostly because Haught would demonstrate the skill which meant the lean lines of her muscles would ripple under her skin and Waverly couldn't keep her eyes off of them. Which also meant that Waverly had to follow the other girls as they performed the skill to make sure she was doing it right.

At the end Fury announced they were going to be skating a hundred laps. Waverly wondered if they were actually trying to kill them.

But after Waverly found her stride, the laps weren’t that bad. She found her mind wandering as well as her eyes. They always seemed to find Haught no matter where she was. Whether it was on the track with them or in the middle talking to Fury.

After practice, Waverly’s body felt pleasantly spent with sweat soaking through her shirt and making stray hairs stick to her forehead. She could tell by the pull in her muscles that she was going to be sore the next day, but with the endorphins flowing through her body she could hardly bring herself to care.

Waverly found herself purposely taking longer to take all her gear off and put it away. Becky waved goodbye to her before she left and as Waverly stood up to leave, it was only her, Fury and Haught left in the warehouse. A few cars were pulling up, probably for the next practice.

Haught made her way over to Waverly and smiled brightly. “You did good today,” she said with a smile, “Skating must run in the family.”

Waverly shrugged and adjusted the duffle on her shoulder. “I suppose. Thank you. For...a great practice.”

She cursed to herself for being so awkward and wondered if she’d already ruined any chance she had of Haught being interested in her that way. Sure she flirted, it was blatant in the way Haught talked to her. But Waverly was curious if she talked to all girls that way or if the spark Waverly felt was mutual. 

But then Haught smiled, dimples distracting Waverly so she couldn’t think anymore. “I’m glad you joined us,” she said softly, “Will I be seeing you next week?”

There was a hopeful tilt to her voice that made Waverly’s heart melt a little bit and she nodded. “Definitely.”

***

Waverly ended up skating everywhere. She skated around town when she ran errands, skated at work before the the doors were open. Anything that could make her skills improve faster.

She had gotten more comfortable on skates and made Wynonna skate with her in the parking lot behind Shorty’s a few times a week to teach her some things. Wynonna, though reluctant, was a great teacher. She gave her some tips about staying low when she was skating and how to distribute her weight to come to a stop. 

Admittedly, Waverly kept a keen eye out for red hair whenever she was in town. Though it was almost like Haught was an enigma. She never saw her anywhere around town.

But that just meant more reason for Waverly to keep going to the Unicorn practices. Nicole was always there along with Fury. And Waverly certainly wasn’t going to complain about that.

***

“Good, everyone!” Fury called from the middle of the track as they skated around. They were practicing whips, something that Fury made a point of saying were pretty outdated, but still fun.

Waverly was partnered with Becky who had fast become her main friend in practices. Becky coasted as Waverly skated up behind her and grabbed her hips, pulling her body back as Waverly attempted to whip ahead of her. It seemed to work pretty well, even if she could feel Haught watching them which made her nervous.

“It looks good,” Haught said skating up to them, “But Waverly, I have a suggestion if you’re open to it?”

Waverly nodded a little too enthusiastically as Haught skated closer to her.

“Okay, get in derby stance,” Haught said as she skated behind Waverly. She licked her lips nervously and bent her knees, chest upright in derby position. She felt Haught get closer to her, heat practically radiating off of her body. Usually it was unbearable with other skaters, but with Haught she just wanted to roll back closer to her.

“You want to grab the girl you’re taking a whip off of here,” Haught said placing her hands gently on Waverly’s hips. Waverly nodded and tried not to choke when Nicole’s hands tightened on her hips, fingers curling firmly around her hip bones.

“And when you pull to take your whip, she’s going to roll back into you a little,” Haught said. She demonstrated, pulling Waverly back into her so that her back was pressed to Haught’s front. “That’s how you know you’re doing it properly. If she moves back into you,” Haught said, her breath tickling the shell of Waverly’s ear.

Waverly swallowed thickly, hoping Haught couldn’t hear how her breathing had gotten shallow.

“Does that make sense?” Haught asked.

Waverly could only nod.

“Good,” Haught said patting Waverly’s hip before straightening up and skating back to the middle of the track where she could observe. “Try it again.”

Waverly took a deep breath and looked at a smirking Becky as she got back on the track with Waverly.

“Not a word,” Waverly whispered as she tried to whip again just as Haught had demonstrated. She felt how she got more movement trying the whip the new way and looked over at Haught, who was smiling.

“Looking great, Waves,” she called before skating off to another group. Waverly watched her skate away in a daze.

“You got it bad,” Becky sang, interrupting Waverly’s thoughts. She quickly looked back at her friend and shrugged.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Waverly said airily.

“Sure,” Becky rolled her eyes as they got back into position.

***

Part of Waverly’s responsibility as a league member, especially a newer one, was to volunteer at the derby bouts. She was more than eager to help out. There were so many shifts to choose from. There was track maintenance, usher, ticket seller, concessions and merch tables among other things.

Waverly jumped on a bartending shift since she had a license and didn’t mind slinging drinks for a couple of hours. Plus Fury was working the other bar shift so at least she knew someone she was working with.

Not to mention that the bar had a great view of the track where the Banditos were playing the Calamity Janes. Waverly had a perfect view of the jam line where Haught would be lining up every other jam as she took her place as pivot. 

Waverly had only been in Unicorns for about a month now, but with two practices a week she felt herself getting stronger and more sure of herself. She had also made a habit of hanging back a little after practices to talk to Haught. She was still trying to get a read on her, trying to figure out what her intentions were. If any. 

Haught was confident. That much was apparent in the way she talked. So it made Waverly wonder why she didn’t ask her out if she was as interested as she seemed to be. Waverly figured she could ask Haught out but...kept talking herself out of it.

So instead, Waverly found herself behind the bar in the corner of the warehouse watching her from afar as she played. Wynonna stood on the side of the bleachers as close to the bar as she could and heckled all through the game. It embarrassed Waverly but she knew better than to chastise Wynonna for it. She would only make it worse.

“Your sister’s really something,” Fury said after serving a customer.

Waverly sighed and arranged the beers in the cooler. “Yeah. That’s putting it lightly.”

“She’s a hell of a skater,” Fury continued, “Natural talent.”

“She is,” Waverly said proudly, “She says skating is the one thing she’s good at. Even if that’s a lie.”

“You’re doing well for yourself too,” Fury pointed out, “Maybe it’s an Earp thing.”

“Really?” Waverly asked.

Fury just nodded and leaned in a little, whispering. “Don’t tell anyone but...Haught and I think you have the most promise out of all the Unicorns.”

Waverly felt her heart thrill in excitement, “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Haught just talks about how awesome you are.”

Waverly blushed deeply and looked back at the track where Haught was hitting the Banditos’ jammer off the track. She tried not to pass out just at the sight and was grateful when another customer came up to be served.

At the end of the game, Waverly was pleased to see that the Calamity Janes had beat the Banditos no problem. The second game was another Juniors exhibition bout so the drinking died down a little. At least until the other teams poured out of their locker rooms. When Haught walked up to the bar after the rush had died down, Waverly almost had a heart attack. 

She was still wearing her uniform, short red hair falling in a unfairly attractive way around her face and a smug grin on her lips. Waverly also couldn’t help but notice the dog tag that hung around her neck with the league logo printed on one side and “MVP” on the other.

“Hey,” Haught said as she crossed her arms and leaned on the bar. She nodded at Fury in acknowledgement before focusing on Waverly.

“Hey,” Waverly replied, silently cursing the breathy tone her voice took on, “What can I get you?”

“Whiskey,” Haught said, “You’ve been working hard over here. Can I get you a drink too?”

Waverly sputtered a little as she grabbed a plastic cup and started pouring whiskey into it. “I um-...I’m not allowed to drink while I’m working.”

“Right,” Haught said handing Fury her money, even with her eyes still on Waverly, “Well...are you going to the after party?”

“Yep,” Waverly said brushing her hair over her shoulder in a move she hoped looked smooth.

“Can I get you a drink there then?” 

Waverly nodded dumbly.

Haught smirked, eyebrow raised as she took a long drag of her drink. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Then she winked. She honest-to-god winked at Waverly who had to grip the edge of the bar almost painfully to keep herself from falling over. All she could do was squeak as Haught turned back around and wandered back to the stands to watch the game.

“You alright there?” Fury asked with a raised eyebrow.

Waverly blinked at Haught’s retreating back before managing to pull her eyes away to look at Fury. 

 

“Mhm,” Waverly managed. Fury smirked but didn’t say anything more.

***

Waverly took her time getting to Shorty’s for the after-party. She didn’t want to seem overeager and she certainly didn’t want to be the newbie that was there first. So she helped close down the warehouse, much to Wynonna’s discontent, and eventually made it over to Shorty’s right when everything was in full swing.

Before walking inside, she made sure her short skirt was straight and low cut shirt was smoothed evenly over her torso. Running a hand through her hair, she looked over at Wynonna who it seemed already had a pleasant buzz happening.

“Who are you trying to impress?” Wynonna asked as they headed for the door.

“No one,” Waverly shrugged despite the blush on her cheeks.

Wynonna just grunted. As they walked in, about three girls saw Wynonna and greeted her with open arms. Waverly smiled at the sight and wandered closer to the bar. Wynonna hadn’t had a lot of luck with friends while growing up. She had her own issues that had...for the most part been dealt with since, but it certainly didn’t lead to a healthy social life. So it was nice to see Wynonna being accepted into a group so easily.

That was the thing about roller derby that Waverly had noticed even before she joined. It was one of the more accepting places, especially in a small town like Purgatory. No one cared about sexuality or gender identity. Everyone was just there to skate and have a good time. To have a group of supportive women surrounding her and her sister was...well Waverly had never experienced anything like it. 

Waverly continued to the bar, taking in how many people were stuffed into the place. There were girls still in their uniforms and other ones Waverly had never seen out of uniform before. Everyone was drinking and having a good time. In the very corner of the bar was a local band Gus brought in to play every once in a while when she knew there was going to be a large crowd.

Her eyes scanned the crowd looking for a familiar shade of red hair.

“I promised you a drink,” Haught said from behind her. It startled Waverly and she turned around to look at Haught who was leaning against the bar with her usual confident smirk.

Waverly blushed and leaned casually against the bar to mirror Haught. “That you did. Whiskey, please.”

Haught smiled and flagged down the bartender to order. Waverly blushed a little when she saw that Gus was one of the ones working. Gus looked at Waverly and back at Haught, a smile curling at the corners of her mouth as she listened to Haught’s order. Thankfully she didn’t say anything and just got them their drinks.

“So you’re not working tonight then,” Haught observed, “Is it weird hanging out where you work?”

Waverly shrugged and gave Gus a grateful smile when she passed her the drink. “I practically grew up in Shorty’s,” she said, “It would almost be weirder if I was drinking anywhere else.”

Haught laughed as she took a sip of her own drink. “Fair enough.”

A bunch of girls screamed when a popular song came on and Waverly giggled. Haught rolled her eyes at their antics and leaned a little closer to Waverly presumably to hear her better. But Waverly really didn’t care what the reason was.

“Have you always lived in Purgatory?” 

“Yeah,” Waverly said looking back down at her drink with the hint of embarrassment, “I um...always wanted to go somewhere else but Wynonna had...issues, my Uncle Curtis got sick and-...I don’t know I just never made it.”

Haught shook her head, “I think that’s kinda nice. I was a military brat so I was always moving around. I feel like it would be nice have some place where you just feel...home.”

Waverly smiled over the rim of her glass. “So what brings you to Purgatory?”

“Felt like a change,” Haught said simply, “There was an opening at the station here-”

“Wait, are you a cop?” Waverly couldn’t help but interrupt.

Haught chuckled and nodded as she took another long sip of her drink. 

“Wow, so you have two types of uniforms,” Waverly smirked. She was pleased to see a small blush on Haught’s cheeks for once.

“Yeah, I guess I do,” Haught said just as they both finished off their drinks. She looked over her shoulder at the dance floor and nodded towards it, “Want to dance?”

Waverly had to look at Haught for a moment before realizing she hadn’t imagined it. 

“Yes,” Waverly said. She hoped the other woman couldn’t see the way her hands shook as she put her empty glass back on the bar. She pushed off the bar and started towards the dancing crowd. Haught followed behind and Waverly could feel her hand hovering over her lower back as they walked. She was feeling just a little lighter from the whiskey and definitely a little braver. Waverly had to resist leaning back into her hand until she turned around and they were face to face.

Waverly looped her arms over Haught’s shoulders and she felt hands rest lightly on her waist. Waverly tried to keep a respectable distance between them even if she just wanted to lean her body against Haught’s.

Haught said something but they were too close to the band and Waverly couldn’t hear. She shook her head with a small frown and Haught leaned forward to talk more in her ear. Red hair just barely touched Waverly’s jaw as Haught got close and Waverly felt like a flock of birds had taken flight in her stomach.

“I’m sorry, I probably smell from the game,” Haught said pulling away a little as she wrinkled her nose.

Waverly shrugged. “I didn’t even notice.”

Waverly would never in a million years tell Haught, but she could have rolled around in hot garbage and Waverly wouldn’t have minded. There was the slight twinge of stink from her gear but mostly Waverly got the confusing but attractive musky scent of sweat just under... vanilla dipped donuts? It just reminded Waverly of what Nicole looked like when she was sweaty and it made her want to sigh.

Their hips moved to the beat and looking around they didn’t look much different than any of the other girls dancing with their friends. Waverly was thankful because it meant no one was giving them any unwanted attention, but it was also frustrating because if everyone danced with their friends...did Haught just see her as a friend? 

Something that Waverly had learned very quickly was that flirting and roller derby seemed to go hand in hand. Everyone flirted with everyone. Sports tended to be touch heavy anyways, but roller derby seemed especially tactile. A sport based mostly on hips and chests...there was going to be a lot of contact. Waverly wasn’t bothered by that aspect of the sport,but she still blushed every time someone flirted with her, even if she knew it was purely platonic. Straight girls flirted with other straight girls, queer people flirted with “the straights”...it was all free game and consensual. It was freeing to say the least. To watch everyone flirt with anyone without the risk of being humiliated or yelled at.

Haught’s hands flexed against Waverly’s hips as a new beat started and she swayed a little closer to the taller woman. The alcohol in her system made her braver and she let her fingers trail briefly over the exposed skin at the back of Haught’s neck. She heard a stuttered sigh escape Haught’s lips and that gave her the confidence she needed to tighten her arms around Haught’s neck and draw herself closer. She felt a warm hand slide from her hip to the small of her back and smiled to herself.

Haught was looking down between them so Waverly lightly scratched her nails over her neck again to get her attention. As soon as brown eyes looked up into hazel she felt her breath hitch in her throat. Haught was looking at her, _really_ looking at her. No cocky little smirk or teasing smile. There was something else pooled behind her eyes that Waverly just wanted to fall into.

But just as soon as Waverly opened her mouth to say something, anything, two of Haught’s teammates came up and clapped her on the back. One handed her a drink with a wide grin. Haught’s hands almost immediately dropped from her hips and Waverly felt the loss. She unhooked her hands from Haught’s neck and smiled shyly at the two girls she hadn’t met yet.

“MVP!” they yelled and Haught grimaced at how loud they were.

They introduced themselves but Waverly could barely hear them over the noise of the bar. Haught smiled at her apologetically as the two, clearly drunk, kept trying to get her to dance with them. Waverly gave her an understanding smile and motioned that she was going back to the bar. She didn’t miss the way Haught reached out for her in a brief moment before her friends practically jumped on her.

Waverly headed back towards the bar, silently cursing the other girls for interrupting her dance with Haught. She didn’t know _where_ the dance could have technically gone, but she was sure it could have at least led to something a little more.

She ordered herself another whiskey just as Becky came up and stood besides her with her own drink in hand.

“Saw you dancing with Haught,” she said with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows, “Seemed pretty cozy.”

Waverly blushed and looked over to where the other woman had been lost in the crowd of dancing people. She could still hear chants of “MVP” coming from the crowd and felt something that felt like pride swell in her chest.

She turned back towards Becky and leaned closer to her. “I-...kinda have a huge crush on her.”

Becky snorted, “Who doesn’t? She’s totally hot. Plus isn’t that like a thing? Having a crush on your trainer?”

“Is it?” Waverly asked wrinkling her nose. She paused for a moment. “Wait. Do you have a crush on Haught?”

“Kinda,” Becky said looking towards her in the crowd with Waverly. “I mean, she’s super hot. I’m not blind.”

Waverly fiddled with her napkin and tried to appear casual. “Who else has a crush on her?”

Becky took a long sip of her drink and spoke over the rim of her glass. “No one else who danced with her.”

A slow smile crept its way onto Waverly’s face and Becky giggled with her as they leaned their heads together like gossiping school girls. Becky’s eyes darted behind Waverly and she hit her in the arm. 

“Ow!” Waverly hissed, “What the-“

Becky widened her eyes and nodded pointedly behind her. Waverly looked over her shoulder and saw Haught standing there with an amused look on her face. 

“Oh, hi,” Waverly said with a blush. 

“Hi,” Haught said looking between the two, “Sorry about over there-“

“No, it’s fine. You’re quite popular,” Waverly said sipping on her drink, “And it’s deserved. You had an amazing game.”

Haught looked down and rubbed the back of her neck as both Waverly and Becky sighed a little. But when Haught looked up she looked right at Waverly, who was sure she started sweating. 

“Thanks,” she started, nursing her own drink, “It’s not just me really-“

Becky laughed and shook her head, “I mean, isn’t that what you’re supposed to say? Even if everyone knew it was all you?”

Haught shrugged and laughed, “I guess.”

Becky blushed and looked down at her drink like it had betrayed her. “Actually,” she said looking at Waverly and winking, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

Becky walked away and Waverly watched her for a moment before looking back at Haught who was still just looking at her. Waverly blushed and shook her head. 

“What?” she asked as she took a small sip of her own drink. She did her best to look coyly over the rim of the glass but was sure she just looked insane. 

Haught smiled softly, “Nothing. Just…” Haught paused, in an uncharacteristic moment of speechlessness, and took a long sip of her own drink. “You’re a good dancer.”

“Cheerleading,” Waverly said with a shrug. She watched as a small blush tinted the edge of Haught’s ears and her mouth hung open for a moment. 

“Um, cheerleading?” Haught asked. Waverly nodded and Haught smiled. “You just got more interesting, Waverly.”

“Was I not interesting before?” Waverly asked cheekily.

“Of course you were,” Haught answered, “But now you’re interesting _and_ a cheerleader.”

Waverly felt that thrill deep in her stomach when Haught smiled at her, eyes darting ever so briefly to her lips. If Waverly had blinked even a moment earlier she would have missed it. Waverly took a small step closer to her, hoping it wasn’t obvious. Her hands itched to reach out for her again and loop back around her neck like when they were dancing. She licked her lips and assessed Haught’s face for any kind of sign or indication that her advances would be reciprocated.

Instead Haught licked her own lips and finished off her drink. “I just wanted to say bye. I’m heading home.”

Waverly’s stomach dropped and she didn’t think she’d kept the disappointment off her face at all. “Oh. Okay,” she forced a small smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yep. Bright and early at practice,” Haught said setting her empty glass on the bar.

“Did you drive here?” Waverly asked. Would it be too much to offer to drive her home? She thought about the alcohol in her own system and realized the flaw in her plan. 

Haught shook her head, “I caught a ride with someone. That’s why I’m leaving.”

She looked at Waverly for a moment, something hanging in the air between the two of them. Waverly could tell there was something on the tip of Haught’s tongue, something she wanted to say. She leaned forward a little in anticipation but was met with nothing. So Waverly held out her hand expectantly. Haught raised an eyebrow at her for a moment before Waverly rolled her eyes.

“Phone,” Waverly said simply. Haught pulled out her phone and placed it a little skeptically in Waverly’s hands. Waverly opened up the contacts and started to put her number in.

“Text me when you get home,” Waverly said far more confidently than she felt. And when a slow but confused smile melted onto Nicole’s lips, she felt doubt creep in. Waverly stuttered, “S-so I can just...make sure you made it okay.”

Waverly went to type in her number when her name popped up as already being saved in the phone. She blinked at it for a moment, confused. As realization dawned on her she felt a thrill in her stomach. Haught raised an eyebrow at her as Waverly handed her back her phone, the redhead’s hair matching her cheeks. 

Waverly smiled, “You already had my number?”

Haught shrugged, “I got it off the league roster. Just in case. I have all the Unicorns’ numbers.”

Waverly tried to temper her smile as Haught took her phone back but it just grew wider. Haught frowned at Waverly and put her phone back in the waistband of her exercise pants. 

“I’ll text you so you know I didn’t die,” Haught conceded with a small smile, “Okay?”

“Okay,” Waverly agreed, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Haught turned around and headed towards the door. Waverly felt in her pocket for her own phone as if she was expecting a message as soon as Haught disappeared. 

“She’s cute,” Gus’ offered from behind the bar. Waverly turned around and looked at her Aunt. “And a good tipper.”

Waverly walked around the bar to join Gus and helped clean some glasses while she poured more drinks.

“She really is something,” Waverly said wistfully as she wiped down the counter.

Gus put her hand on Waverly’s shoulder and squeezed, “Yeah. But so are you.”

Waverly poured herself a glass of water. “Thanks, Gus.”

Gus kissed the side of Waverly’s head as she leaned into her Aunt’s comforting touch. Gus had always been her biggest cheerleader in everything she did. When Wynonna was gone, she leaned on Gus. She had always been determined to make sure Waverly never felt like she was missing out on family with her parents and oldest sister gone and Wynonna doing whatever she was doing at the time. And she had succeeded. 

Waverly’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she jumped in surprise. She pulled it out, heart hammering harder than she would ever admit with the hope that it was Haught texting her already. But she saw Wynonna’s name pop up and quickly deflated.

_Wynonna: Home?_

Waverly looked up and saw Wynonna waving at her from across the room. She rolled her eyes and nodded towards the door as she ordered a ride share. 

“I’ll see you later, Gus,” Waverly said kissing her cheek and walking out from behind the bar, “I open tomorrow.”

“See you later, darlin’,” Gus replied. Waverly stuffed her phone back in her pocket and tried not to think about Haught. Though it was a losing battle.

Waverly noticed that Wynonna hadn’t even finished the beer in her hand. She frowned and pointed at the drink.

“Nonna, you didn’t tell me you weren’t ready yet. I already got the car,” Waverly said.

Wynonna shook her head and shrugged. “Baby girl, it’s Purgatory. There are two Uber drivers here, either Crazy Bill or Blinky’s mom...um-” Wynonna circled her hand near her head, clearly trying to conjure up her name.

“Stacy?” Waverly offered.

“Yes. Stacy,” Wynonna agreed, pointing at her sister. “Anyways, it’s Saturday. Crazy Bill is probably too busy at Pussywillows and Stacy is probably working there. So. I think we have some time until they get here.”

Waverly rolled her eyes but Wynonna had a point. Sure enough she looked at her phone and it was still searching for a driver.

“Now come here, I have a question,” Wynonna put her arm around Waverly’s neck as she turned to look at Dolls who was sitting at a table behind her. He had his own beer in his hand and was looking as unamused as ever.

“Dolls and I have been talking all night-”

“No, we have not,” he countered as he took a sip of his beer.

“-about what his derby name should be,” Wynonna finished.

Waverly crossed her arms and gave Dolls an understanding look. When Wynonna got on one of her little nickname games, it was almost impossible to get her off of it.

“I do not play derby. Therefore I don’t need a name,” Dolls said pointedly, “I’m a coach.”

“You’re a spoil sport,” Wynonna snorted into her beer glass. “So I have a few options for him. Xavier Mauls. Get it? Like...maul.” Wynonna made...what Waverly assumed were clawing motions with her hands.

Dolls shot her a look and Wynonna continued.

“You’re right. Not the best. How about...oh! Reffing Bitch Face!” Wynonna yelled triumphantly, “Get it? It works! Because you ref sometimes!”

Dolls drained his beer and gave Wynonna a hard look. “I don’t need a derby name.”

“Lame!” Wynonna said finishing off her beer. Waverly’s phone buzzed and she checked it. Still no text from Nicole, but it was from their driver who had just pulled up. 

“Let’s go, Nonna,” Waverly said showing her the phone and nudging her towards the door. She dropped her empty glass on Doll’s table and the two sisters went to the front of the bar to leave.

***

_Unknown Number: So I didn’t die._

Waverly blinked at her phone for a moment, trying to calm the racing of her heart. She had just gotten home with Wynonna and was walking into the Homestead. Wynonna was singing drunkenly and Waverly thanked the gods that they lived so far from any neighbors.

She looked at the number again. It was Haught. It had to be. She cursed herself for not looking up her number on the roster but quickly moved on to wondering how long she should wait before texting her back.

_Waverly: I’m glad you’re not dead. :)_

She thought for a moment before typing.

_Waverly: I’m guessing this is Haught._

Wynonna was already holed up in her room by the time Waverly made her way up the stairs and into her own bedroom. She set her phone down on the bed and quickly changed into her pajamas just as her phone buzzed again.

_Haught: You didn’t get my number from the league roster? Now I’m just offended._

Waverly smiled to herself as she typed back.

_Waverly: I’m not a stalker like some people. ;)_

_Haught: Hey hey hey. I wouldn’t call it stalking. More like being prepared in case of an emergency. It’s not like I used it._

_Waverly: Why didn’t you?_

_Haught: ...This feels like twenty questions._

_Waverly: I asked one question!_

_Haught: That’s how these games usually start._

_Waverly: Fine. Can we play twenty questions then?_

_Haught: I feel like I’ll regret this. But I’m still buzzed so go for it._

_Waverly: Perfect. I won’t ask anything too hard. ;)_

_Waverly: What’s your real name?_

_Haught: Starting off easy I see. Nicole._

_Waverly: Nicole...huh. Didn’t peg you for a Nicole._

_Haught: What did you peg me for?_

_Waverly: I don’t know. Something like...Katherine or Alicia._

_Haught: Seriously? Jeez._

_Waverly: So do you go by Nicole or Nicky? Or Cole?_

_Haught: Depends. I answer to all three. I’m not picky._

_Waverly: And you’re a police officer. How long have you been doing that?_

_Haught: Since I graduated college so about five years now._

_Waverly: So you’re...26?_

_Haught: Yes. How old are you?_

_Waverly: It’s not your turn yet._

_Haught: Fine. I’ll just look it up in the league documents then._

_Waverly: That’s cheating!_

_Haught: I don’t like to wait for what I want._

Something about the simple phrase sent a chill up Waverly’s spine and she snuggled into her comforter as she continued typing.

_Waverly: Do you have any pets?_

_Nicole: Yes. A cat._

_Waverly: What’s its name?_

_Nicole: Calamity Jane…I know._

_Waverly: So...you named your cat after your derby team?_

_Nicole: No! CJ is six years old! I’ve had her since before I was on this team._

_Waverly: A likely story._

_Nicole: It’s true!_

_Waverly: Fine fine. When did you start playing roller derby?_

_Haught: Five years ago with my old league._

_Waverly: Were you a super star over there too?_

_Haught: I’m hardly a super star here._

_Waverly: That’s not what I hear, MVP. ;)_

_Haught: I was on the All Star team if that’s what you’re asking._

_Waverly: So you were always a super star. Noted. What made you join?_

_Haught: Honestly?_

_Waverly: Yes._

_Haught: It’s embarrassing. But...I joined to meet girls._

Waverly blushed and giggled to herself. She bit on her bottom lip and wondered how to proceed. She could be really flirty...or...play it safe.

_Waverly: That’s really cute. Did it work?_

_Haught: It was easier than Tinder! And…_

_Haught: Yeah briefly._

_Waverly: Briefly?_

_Haught: I got a girlfriend. Then we broke up._

_Waverly: Ah I see. Sorry I brought it up._

_Haught: Don’t be. I offered the information._

_Waverly: On to something hopefully lighter. Where did you move from?_

_Haught: The city._

_Waverly: Did you move for work?_

_Haught: Work and because of my breakup. I was offered a better job and I took it._

_Waverly: Do you have a derby wife?_

_Haught: I don’t have one at this league. No._

_Waverly: You had a derby wife at your old league?_

_Haught: Yeah my...ex._

_Waverly: Oh god I’m sorry. You know you can tell me to shut up at any time, right?_

_Haught: I know but I don’t mind. I like talking to you._

_Waverly: You do?_

_Haught: Yeah._

Waverly bit her lip to try and suppress the small smile that spread over her face at that simple word. Just one word and it felt like butterflies were stirring in her stomach.

_Waverly: I like talking to you too. :)_

_Haught: Yeah?_

_Waverly: Yeah._

Waverly looked at her phone. Haught...Nicole… _liked_ talking to her. She enjoyed talking to her. Waverly Earp. They were texting right now after spending time together at the after party and-...She typed a simple response out and deleted it. 

If she wasn’t going to get the courage now to ask Nicole out, she was never going to do it. She quickly typed out a reply and pushed send before she could change her mind.

_Waverly: Do you want to get coffee after practice tomorrow?_

_Haught: Yes...And No._

Waverly felt her heart drop and she frowned at the phone for a moment. The tiny bubbles that indicated Haught was texting popped up for a moment but then were gone. Waverly felt her stomach twist with nerves as she typed.

_Waverly: Why? If I may ask._

_Haught: You can. Because that’s your last question. ;)_

_Haught: I would like to get coffee with you. But it’s also not a good idea to...fraternize in derby._

_Waverly: It’s not?_

_Haught: No. It can get...messy._

Looking at her phone, Waverly felt a small panic rise up in her chest. It was like she was so close but so far. She had gotten the courage to ask Haught out and now...she was saying it wasn’t a good idea. She hoped her texts didn’t sound crestfallen.

_Waverly: Oh._

_Haught: Waverly._

_Waverly: Yes?_

_Haught: I don’t want to ruin derby for you._

_Waverly: What makes you think that’ll happen?_

_Haught: I don’t want to risk it. And...we should go to bed. It’s late. We have to be up early tomorrow._

_Waverly: You really are getting rid of me._

_Haught: I’m not. I promise you. But...I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay?_

_Waverly: Goodnight, Nicole. :) Sleep well._

_Haught: Night. :)_

Waverly stared at her phone for another moment before plugging it in and setting it on her nightstand. Her mind felt like a mess. Nicole basically admitted she wanted to go on a date with Waverly. And yet…

She looked up at the ceiling for a moment in thought. She wasn’t going to let Nicole off that easily. Tomorrow was a new day.

***

“So you got a thing for Haught, huh?” Fury asked.

Waverly nearly dropped the beer cans she was holding. They were counting the stock of drinks for the next game in a small storage closet when Fury dropped that bomb on her. Waverly’s ears practically glowed red.

“Um...no. Why would you say that?” Waverly lied, her voice a little higher than normal.

Fury chuckled and shook her head, “I can tell by the way your eyes get all dreamy when you look at her.”

Waverly knew there was no point in denying it. She put down the number of beers on her clipboard and moved on to the liquor bottles in another box as Fury counted plastic cups.

“Is it that obvious?” Waverly muttered with an embarrassed smile.

“Maybe not to everyone,” Rosita said smiling back at Waverly, “I just see everything around here.”

Waverly groaned. “I can’t help it. She’s just so...cool and pretty and sweet.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t totally go for it because she looks at you with those heart eyes too,” Fury said before continuing like she hadn’t dropped a huge bomb on Waverly. Haught looked at her like that too? Like she liked her? But Rosita continued. “I’m just saying to be careful. Sometimes the drama of an interleague relationship is too much.”

“What do you mean?” Waverly asked trying not to immediately go back to the part where Fury said Nicole had a thing for her.

Fury shrugged. “It can just be hard. Having everyone watch your relationship unfold and have their own opinions on everything. Jealousy over teams, rivalry if you’re not on the same team,” Fury sighed, “Most of the time it’s just the drama that happens when people break up. That’s hard on everyone.”

“Seems a little...crazy to be talking about a breakup when a kiss hasn’t even happened. Don’t you think?” Waverly said with a small chuckle.

“You’d think. But it’s always something to consider. Again, I’m not discouraging anything. I just don’t want you to go in blind,” Fury said writing the number of cups on the clipboard. “Especially after everything that happened with Haught at her old league.”

Waverly’s ears perked a little bit at that and she lost track of how many bottles of whiskey they had and started over. 

“What...happened at her old league?” she asked casually.

“It got really awkward when her and her long time girlfriend broke up. Everything seemed fine at first but like I said there’s no secrets in roller derby,” Fury chuckled. “Her ex had started hooking up with someone else. She thought it was a secret but everyone knew. Haught was upset and people started to think they had to choose sides. Everyone kept talking to Haught about it like she wanted and needed to know...it just became a lot.”

Waverly nodded and felt an unwelcome pang of guilt for her feelings. She appreciated the advice. It certainly wasn’t something she might have thought about otherwise. But Waverly didn’t want to miss out on Nicole. Even if it caused all the awkwardness in the world. Especially when-

“So...you said she looked at me with heart eyes?” Waverly asked softly.

Fury laughed and shook her head. “She has definitely looked at you with heart eyes. It would be sickening if it wasn’t so cute.”

Waverly practically squealed and gripped Fury’s arm. “You’ve made my entire week. No! Month.”

Fury just laughed harder and they went back to counting, Waverly with a permanent smile stuck on her face.

***

Waverly couldn’t concentrate. At all.

She saw things happening and people explaining things and...skating but. All she could see was Nicole.

She was explaining some drill but Waverly couldn’t even concentrate on what she was saying. She tried, she did. But all she could see were Nicole’s lips moving.

Nicole was being all...tall and her muscles were rippling under her skin. The way her shirt was cut at the sides she could see her sports bra and torso. She swore she could see sweat rolling down Nicole’s stomach through the side of her shirt and made a strangled noise.

Waverly was a mess. 

She wanted to rip her shirt off of her and kiss all the way across her stomach. To lick the sweat off and-

“Waves!”

Waverly jumped and looked over at Becky who was looking at her with wide eyes. She blushed and blinked at her friend.

“Yes?”

“Are you okay?” Becky asked with a frown, “You seem spacy.”

“I’m fine,” Waverly said with a wide smile, “I just-...am tired…”

“Be my partner for this drill?” Becky asked.

Waverly smiled back, “Sure! Just...explain it to me please.”

Becky smirked with a nod, “I got you.”

***

Waverly wouldn’t say she was...wasted. That wouldn’t be giving herself enough credit. Plus she was an Earp. Earps could handle their liquor.

This was something she knew to be true even while Wynonna danced on top of the bar with her teammates cheering her on below. Waverly held her drink in her hand...she didn’t even know what number this was. But it was there and almost gone. 

Waverly didn’t expect the league holiday party to be quite like this. It was at a nicer bar a little on the outskirts of town and everyone was dressed to the nines like they were making up for only ever being around each other in workout clothes. Waverly wore a tight gold dress and let her hair fall around her shoulders. She wondered if it was a mistake with the cold outside but decided looking her best was more important. Especially knowing Nicole was going to be there.

She blinked down at her drink for a moment, mind swimming. And when she looked back up Nicole was right there, flaunting those damn dimples.

Waverly felt a slow smile creep over her face as she took in Nicole standing in front of her in black pants, a simple white button up and a blazer to match her pants. Waverly thought she could die right there in that moment. How did one person have the right to be this attractive? Waverly couldn’t handle it. 

“Hey,” Haught said casually, “I was going to offer you a drink but I see you already have one.”

Waverly giggled far too much and she blushed before tucking some hair behind her ear. She cleared her throat and shrugged. “For a second I thought you weren’t coming back.”

“I had to stop and get more beer per Fury’s request,” Nicole said spinning her key ring on her finger for a second before catching it in her hand. 

“Can I get you a drink?” Waverly said. Nicole blinked at her for a moment before nodding. 

“Sure. Whiskey please.”

Waverly raised an amused eyebrow at Nicole. “Going right for the hard stuff. I like it,” she said placing an order for two whiskeys at the bar. She drained her last drink just as the bartender handed her the other two drinks. 

She handed one to Nicole and held her glass up to toast. 

“Cheers,” Nicole said clinking their glasses together. 

“Cheers,” Waverly answered. They both took sips, eyes on the other the entire time. 

Nicole stepped a little closer and Waverly smiled up at her, heart leaping into her throat. 

“You know,” Nicole began, “You owe me a round of twenty questions.”

Waverly’s stomach twisted and revolted against her. How could something as wonderful as Nicole (maybe) flirting with her make her feel sick? Right. Because she had no idea how to respond. Especially with Nicole in front of her looking all sexy.

“Well you can redeem it at any time,” Waverly said shrugging one shoulder. She immediately hated the words that came out of her mouth and wished she could take them back. But Nicole’s smile widened so she figured she was fine.

“Fine,” Nicole said, “Why did you start roller derby?”

Waverly thought back to that day she signed up. How really, she just wanted to talk to Nicole and even if she had a vague interest in derby, had never really… _considered_ it an option. Then Wynonna made a point of saying she couldn’t do it and well…being near Nicole certainly was a perk of it.

“Because I wanted to prove Wynonna wrong,” Waverly said.

Nicole nodded, “And did you?”

Waverly pulled on her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment in thought. “Well, I’m still a Unicorn. So probably not yet.”

“You’re still a Unicorn but that doesn’t mean you don’t have potential. You can’t even graduate to a team for another few weeks,” Nicole said taking another drink, “And I’m...pretty sure you will.”

“You think so?” Waverly asked softly. Nicole just nodded and continued to her next question.

“Now how old are you?” she asked with a small blush.

“Twenty-one,” Waverly said.

“A baby,” Nicole muttered with a small smile.

Waverly pretended to be offended, “Hardly. I’m legal in all ways now.”

Nicole’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline and Waverly blushed impossibly deep. She really did have the tendency to put her foot in it. Saying she was ‘legal’ had that implication she didn’t want to think about. The implication of Nicole over her...under her...both of them completely wrapped around each other. She thought about it enough at inappropriate times. Mostly in practices when Nicole was sweaty, barely clothed and oh so close.

“Next question,” Nicole said, bringing Waverly from her thoughts, “Do you live with Blood?”

“I do. At the family house outside of town,” Waverly said, thankful that they had gone away from the embarrassing legal talk.

“I figured,” Nicole said, “She jokes about you with me sometimes. In our joint practices.”

Waverly felt the color drain from her face as she looked over at Wynonna who was still dancing on the bar but had managed to pull another girl up there with her. The moves they were doing were...probably teetering on explicit so Waverly looked away. She could only imagine the kind of things that Wynonna might say to Haught.

“About...what?” she asked.

Nicole shook her head with a smile, “It’s my turn. Remember?”

Waverly scoffed, “Fine. I’m just going to ask her later.”

“To be fair, I’m not the only one she says it to,” Nicole pointed out.

“Who else?” Waverly asked with a frown.

“Not your turn,” Nicole repeated with a smug look on her face. Waverly huffed with a little bit of a pout but didn’t push it. “What team would you want to be on?”

_Whatever team you’re on._

The words were on the tip of Waverly’s tongue and if she had had anymore to drink she probably would have confessed it all right there. But she bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself quiet and tilted her head to the side like she was thinking.

“Well, the Peacemakers are clearly the best,” she teased. She was rewarded with a small scoff and roll of her eyes from Nicole. “Honestly I’d be happy on any team.”

Nicole squinted at Waverly for a moment and straightened up. She finished off her drink and looked over at Waverly with the barest hint of a smile.

“Shots?” she asked.

Waverly finished off her own drink. “I’m a lot further along than you,” she said trying to assess her own drunkenness. “So my limit is two.”

Nicole laughed and ordered five shots from the bartender. She slid two in front of Waverly and they took them together. 

“There,” Nicole said as she slammed down her third shot, “Now I’m caught up with you.” She looked around the crowded bar for a moment before looking back down at Waverly. 

“Wanna go outside for a second?” Nicole asked just loudly enough for Waverly to hear her over the noise of the bar, “It’s just...kinda hot in here.” 

“Does that count as one of your questions?” Waverly smirked. 

Nicole shot her a good natured look, “If it must.”

“I’ll give you this one as a freebie,” Waverly nodded and felt how it took a moment for her brain to follow her head movements. She was definitely pleasantly drunk. Not so much that she would forget anything, but just enough to make her feel a little braver.

Nicole tilted her head towards the door and Waverly followed as she lead them outside. At one point when they were wading through a crowd, Waverly almost lost Nicole so she instinctively grabbed for her sleeve. Nicole pulled her sleeve away and reached for Waverly’s hand instead. When her hand closed around Waverly’s she felt her breath catch. Nicole’s hand was warm and just big enough to cover her own but not too big. Her hands were soft and gentle but sure and-

Waverly wondered if she’d ever thought so hard about holding someone’s hand. Probably not.

She silently hoped her own hand wasn’t too sweaty or gross. She had put on lotion before she left so at least there was that. When they got outside, the cold air hit her skin in a not completely unpleasant way. She noticed Nicole didn’t immediately let go of her hand when they got outside and when she did, long fingers trailed over Waverly’s palm before letting go. She shivered and not from the cold.

There were several people hanging out on the sidewalk outside of the bar, but Haught walked through all of them and around the corner away from everyone. It wasn’t a hidden area, particularly, but enough out of the way of prying eyes that sent a thrill up Waverly’s spine.

She leaned against the wall of the bar and took a deep breath. The cold air burned her lungs but she welcomed it.

“Is this okay?” Nicole asked. Her words had a bit of a drawl to them that made Waverly feel warm deep in her belly.

“Perfect,” Waverly breathed out. Nicole stuffed both of her hands in her pockets and stood close, the tip of her shoes almost touching Waverly’s.

“I just...it’s hard to hear in there,” Nicole shrugged with that charming smile, “Now what number question are we on?”

“Six,” Waverly said after a moment of thought, “And I won’t count that as one of your questions.”

“Smart ass,” Nicole chuckled, “Okay, then seven. If you could be anywhere in the world, where would it be?”

Waverly squinted in thought and put both of her hands behind her against the wall. 

“Somewhere near the ocean,” Waverly said, “I’m not picky other than that.”

A burst of cold wind passed by her and Waverly shivered, crossing her arms over her chest. Nicole’s brow furrowed immediately in concern and she shrugged off her blazer without a second thought. She stepped closer to Waverly so that she could drape the jacket over her shoulders. Waverly’s breath left her lungs as the warm smell that reminded Waverly of vanilla dipped donuts filled her. She looked up at Nicole who was standing so very close.

Nicole’s hands lingered on the lapel as she pulled it tighter around Waverly’s shoulders. Waverly put her hands over Nicole’s to keep them in place and pulled the taller woman forward a little. The front of Nicole’s shoe hit Waverly’s and she stumbled forward in surprise. Nicole pulled one hand from Waverly’s grip and used her forearm to brace herself on the wall above Waverly’s head.

The streetlight was shining down in just enough that Waverly could see the hint of a blush on Nicole’s cheeks. She was certain she had one to match it. Brown eyes were wide, questioning. Waverly looked back up at Nicole with bated breath, unable to stop her eyes darting down to Nicole’s lips.

“Question seven,” Nicole said licking her lips. Her other hand fell from the jacket and settled on Waverly’s waist. Waverly nodded wordlessly, her hands hanging uselessly at her sides. “Why did you really want to join roller derby?”

Waverly felt her mouth dry up. She took a deep breath and rushed out, “I wanted to spend more time with you.” She blushed and looked away for a moment. “The stuff about Wynonna is true too though.”

A slow smile curled over Nicole’s face and she nodded. “Good to know.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah. Question eight.”

Waverly felt Nicole’s thumb rubbing a soft circle on her stomach, probably due to her nerves more than anything. Her heart was racing, blood rushing so loudly in her ears that she could barely hear Nicole’s next question.

“Is it okay if I kiss you?”

Waverly didn’t answer. Not with words anyways. Her hands found their own way, smoothing over Nicole’s chest, one hand playing with the collar of her shirt while the other curled gently around the back of Nicole’s neck. She put just enough pressure on the back of Nicole’s neck to give her that encouragement to close the gap between them.

The muscles at the back of Nicole’s neck tensed under Waverly’s fingers as she resisted the pressure. But just a moment later the muscles relaxed and Nicole’s neck bent to the will of Waverly’s fingers. Finally, what she’d been hoping for for weeks was happening. 

Nicole’s forehead rested lightly against Waverly’s as they breathed each other in. Every question and doubt dangled on the shared breath between them. Waverly’s eyes fluttered shut and she tilted her chin up a little. She didn’t care if she seemed desperate or impatient. She’d waited this long to kiss Nicole and every second longer she waited was akin to torture.

Finally she felt soft lips brush against her own. They hesitated, but only briefly, not giving Waverly enough time to voice her impatience. Instead Nicole’s lips pressed softly against her own and every sensible thought flew out of her head. The fingers at the back of Nicole’s neck slipped through silky red strands.

Her back pressed a little further into the wall as Nicole leaned more into her. Waverly welcomed the weight but hoped Nicole couldn’t feel the way her heart was beating out of her chest. Every second that Nicole’s lips were pressed against hers was just affirmation to Waverly that she had fallen for her. Hard. Probably since the first moment she’d laid eyes on Nicole.

The kiss was brief. Far more brief than Waverly would have liked. A short whine was building at the back of her throat as her nails scratched lightly at the back of Nicole’s neck. She needed to feel Nicole’s lips on her own again.

“Question nine,” Nicole breathed out, their foreheads still pressed together, “Do you-...Do you understand that we can’t kiss again?”

Waverly’s eyes flew open and it felt like she’d been dunked in a bucket of cold water. Her tongue darted out to taste the whiskey and something that tasted like sugar on her lips from Nicole’s kiss and felt light headed again. Maybe she’d misheard her.

“What?” Waverly asked with a frown, “What do you mean?”

Nicole went to drop her hand from Waverly’s waist but she covered it with her own, keeping her in place.

“I’m your trainer,” Nicole sighed, “We can’t-...this can’t be a thing.”

“Are there rules against it?” Waverly asked, her fingers still moving through Nicole’s hair.

Nicole sighed and their noses brushed together, “Not written explicitly-”

“Then I don’t see the problem,” Waverly said leaning up to kiss Nicole again. Nicole turned her head and Waverly got her cheek instead. Nicole straightened up, arm falling from the wall above Waverly’s head and Waverly’s hand fell from her hair. With the sudden amount of space between them, the cold air chilled Waverly again. She pulled Nicole’s jacket tighter around her shoulders without thinking. 

“Waves,” Nicole said slamming her eyes shut and shaking her head a little, “I’m sorry. I should never have kissed you.”

Waverly felt like her heart fell out right there on the sidewalk between them and shattered. She could feel her throat tighten and tears threaten to spill down her cheeks. But she stood straighter, face set like stone.

“And I should have never let you kiss me,” she said crossing her arms in front of her chest. Even though she knew she’d be thinking about the kiss for far longer than she wanted to. Waverly shrugged one shoulder and tried to look as unaffected as possible. “But it’s fine. It’s derby, right? These things happen.”

She watched as something passed over Nicole’s face. Her lips became a thin line and she looked down at her shoes before looking back at Waverly. She couldn’t look at Nicole any longer. She couldn’t stand to see her so close but so...defeated. It only upset Waverly more because _she_ was the only one allowed to be upset about it.

“Can we just talk about it?” Nicole said softly, eyes pleading.

Waverly shrugged and pushed off the wall, “I have to go.”

She was almost around the corner when she remembered Nicole’s jacket around her shoulders. Waverly shrugged it off and tossed it in Nicole’s direction. Nicole grabbed it, the jacket almost falling to the ground but Waverly was already weaving through the crowd of people outside.

“Waves!” she heard Nicole shout from behind her. She blinked away the tears at the corners of her eyes and kept moving.

As soon as she made it back inside, she took a deep breath and went straight for the bar. 

“Three shots, please,” Waverly said with a forced smile.

Wynonna came up behind her and hip checked her playfully. Waverly stumbled over a bit and shot her sister a look.

“Gotta work on receiving those hits, baby girl,” Wynonna teased. Even through her drunken haze, Waverly watched as her sister’s expression darkened at the look on Waverly’s face. “Who do I have to beat up?”

“No one,” Waverly said quickly. 

“It’s Haught isn’t it? I saw you two go outside,” Wynonna said as her eyes scanned the crowd, “What’d she say to you? Some shit about not making it out of Unicorns? I swear to god that bitch-”

Waverly cut off her sister. “Nothing like that. It’s fine. Here.”

She handed Wynonna a shot in hopes it would distract her enough to stop talking about Haught. Wynonna’s eyes darted down to the shot and she took it happily.

“Best sister ever,” Wynonna said with a wink. They took a shot at the same time and Waverly relished the way the alcohol burned as it went down. She didn’t know if she should be mad or sad about Haught. Probably a little bit of both. But for now she would just be drunk.

***

Later that night, Waverly made some poor decisions. 

Part of Waverly hoped that Haught had seen when Wynonna pulled her on the bar to dance. She was too far gone to think or even do a scan for herself. 

The other part of her hoped Nicole was gone by the time she pulled Fury into a kiss while she was on top of the bar.

***

The next morning, Waverly woke up on the couch with a blanket draped over her. She blinked up at the ceiling for a moment, head already pounding. She saw her dress dropped haphazardly on the floor and looked under the blanket to see she had decided to sleep in just her underwear. 

Shapiro was coming down the stairs, shoes in her hand and shirt askew. Waverly squinted at her and rolled her eyes as Wynonna came down the stairs behind her in just a tshirt and panties. She flopped back down on the couch and looked at her phone.

Four messages from Haught.

_Haught: Waves. Please. Can we just sit down and talk?_

_Haught: Or stand and talk? I’m not picky._

_Haught: I’m sorry._

_Haught: I still have some questions left in your game of twenty questions, you know. ___

__Waverly closed her phone and turned so her face was pressed against the back of the couch. She heard movement in the kitchen but ignored it. There was still a sadness bubbling in her chest that she had hoped would go away with the drinking but apparently there was no such luck. Her fingers itched to text Haught back but she restrained herself._ _

__All she could think about was how Nicole’s lips felt against her own and the way her hand settled so naturally on her waist. Waverly sighed at the memory. A sigh that turned to a groan when she heard giggling coming from the kitchen._ _

__Waverly wrapped the blanket around herself and decided to go up the stairs while the other two were distracted in the kitchen. She purposefully left her phone to avoid any temptation of calling Nicole. She would rather just deal with her in practice the next day._ _

__***_ _

__Waverly skipped a whole week of practices and Haught stopped trying to text her after two days of no replies._ _

__***_ _

__Waverly was finally back at practice. She couldn’t bring herself to be gone for too long. Especially with Becky texting her and asking where she was. Not to mention the kiss with Fury at the holiday party which apparently the whole league already knew about._ _

__Though Waverly wasn’t as worried about the kiss. Especially seeing how Fury just waved it off and so did Waverly. It wasn’t a big deal, not in roller derby. Waverly was more worried with the idea that Nicole knew that she kissed Fury. Right after they had kissed. It made Waverly nervous._ _

__“Alright, we’re practicing apex jumps today,” Haught said standing in front of the group of Unicorns. There was a mix of excited chatter and groans. Waverly’s stomach had been in a knot all practice at the idea of being in the same room as Nicole again so she really couldn’t tell if she was nervous for the drill at all._ _

__An apex jump was usually made by a jammer to jump the corner of the track and get past the opposing blockers to score all their points in one impressive looking move. It was rarely used, and when it was done successfully, it was always a crowd pleaser._ _

__Haught set up some cones to simulate blockers, giving them a distance to try and jump. She demonstrated it with ease, her long legs stretching without a problem for her to complete the jump. Waverly purposely looked away as they all got in line to jump the cones._ _

__All practice Haught had been trying to get Waverly’s attention. She could feel her staring at her or skating closer to her than maybe she would have normally. But Waverly pointedly ignored her every single time._ _

__They went through the drill a few times, the cones getting further and further apart as they went. Waverly cleared it easily every time even when some other skaters struggled. But the last time with the cones nearly as far apart as she was tall, Waverly felt her skate slip a little under her and her ankle twist in a weird way. She stumbled for a moment but managed to stay upright. She cursed to herself as she skated back to the line._ _

__“Maybe you shouldn’t jump this next one, Waves,” Haught said skating up to her. Her eyes were firmly on Waverly’s ankle and Waverly groaned a little when Nicole’s eyes met her own._ _

__“I’m fine,” Waverly said stiffly even as she favored her injured ankle and kept her weight off of it._ _

__“Waverly, you’re not. I can see that-”_ _

__“Don’t ever tell me what I am and what I’m not,” Waverly snapped under her breath, looking sharply at Nicole. She noticed Becky perk up a little and try to look behind her back at them but it didn’t seem like anyone else had taken notice._ _

__Nicole skated a little closer, something burning in her eyes. “As your _coach_ , I’m telling you not to try jumping the cones if you already injured yourself.”_ _

__“And as an _adult_ , I’m kindly telling you to fuck off,” Waverly said as Becky took her turn, meaning Waverly was next._ _

__“Waverly,” Nicole said again, warningly. But Waverly, more determined than ever, went anyways. She could feel all the anger in her chest making her legs work faster and through the pain in her ankle. Clearing the cones was no problem. But as she landed perfectly on her injured ankle she felt a ‘pop’ and her entire leg collapsed underneath her. Waverly tumbled to the ground, rolling over herself until she landed flat on her back, limbs spread out around her._ _

__There was a collective gasp and Waverly groaned, her cheeks heating in embarrassment. Waverly just let herself lay there for a moment with her eyes closed. The light was blocked from her eyes and she opened them to see Haught and Fury both leaning over her._ _

__“Are you okay?” Haught asked, eyes wide._ _

__“I’m fine,” Waverly said pushing away the hand Haught offered to help her up. She tried to get up on her own and managed to do it without embarrassing herself until she tried to put weight on her ankle. She hissed in pain, knee giving out from under her for a moment. Haught quickly grabbed her arm to save her from falling and Waverly shot her a look._ _

__“Let me help you to the first aid room,” Haught said, Fury nodding in agreement._ _

__“I’m fine,” Waverly repeated. She tried to pull her arm from Nicole’s grasp but she held firm._ _

__“Waverly, I’m not only your coach, I’m also the only person from Safety here. So I need you to do what I tell you,” Nicole said firmly. Waverly felt a chill go up her spine that wasn’t entirely unpleasant at the tone of her voice and the look in Nicole’s eyes. She wondered if this is what Nicole was like when she was in cop mode. Taking in a perp and telling them to put their hands behind their back-_ _

__“Waverly!” Fury interrupted her reverie. Waverly blinked at her, cheeks tinting from letting herself get carried away with her thoughts. Nicole was frowning and looked just as confused as Fury. “Can you stand up with Haught’s help?”_ _

__“Yeah,” Waverly said, still reeling from her daydream. Nicole held her arm and steadied Waverly as she stood on her feet. She tried to put down her injured ankle but hissed in pain and immediately picked it back up. Waverly let Nicole slip a tentative arm around her waist and hated how being in her arms felt so comforting._ _

__“This okay?” Nicole asked softly._ _

__Waverly just nodded and let Nicole lead her off of the track and into the second half of the warehouse where the first aid office was._ _

__Office was probably a strong word for it. It was a little room they had built with some wood planking in the corner of the warehouse. It had a locking door, windows with blinds, and generally looked like an office. Except it was stuffed with medical supplies including crutches and wheelchairs for when the inevitable injuries happened._ _

__They didn’t talk all the way to the office. The only sound was the din of the girls skating on the track. The sound faded as they made their way to the first aid office. Nicole opened the door and Waverly pulled on the door frame to wheel herself in on one skate as she balanced on the one foot. She pulled herself to the couch and let her body fall onto it with a huff._ _

__Nicole closed the door behind her and went straight for one of the supply cabinets._ _

__“Can you get your skate off?” she asked as she walked back with some rolls of medical tape._ _

__Waverly undid her skate, making it as loose as possible. She moved to take it out but Nicole stopped her as she knelt on the floor in front of her. She unclipped the strap of her helmet and set it on the floor, along with her wrist guards. Waverly took her helmet off and set it besides her on the couch, taking her mouth guard off and dropping it in it._ _

__“Wait, here. Let me take a look first,” Nicole said shooing Waverly’s hands away from her own foot. Nicole carefully pulled back the tongue of the skate and ran her fingers along Waverly’s ankle. “Does that hurt?”_ _

__Waverly felt chills run all up her body at the contact but managed to keep a straight face. “Nope,” she said stiffly._ _

__Nicole nodded and slowly pulled the skate from Waverly’s foot. It hurt a little as the stiff leather cleared her ankle but it was more of a dull ache now. Once the skate was off, Nicole pulled Waverly’s sock halfway down her foot to leave her ankle exposed._ _

__Waverly blushed at the oddly intimate nature of the whole thing._ _

__She was sitting on the couch with her skate off and sock down with Nicole kneeling in front of her and running her fingers over her ankle time and time again. If this were a Jane Austen novel, they’d have to be married for this sort of contact._ _

__“What’s the verdict, doc?” Waverly teased awkwardly. Nicole looked up at her with some shock on her face but quickly looked back down at her ankle. Waverly figured she didn’t have the right to be joking with Nicole in this way. Not when she had been ignoring her calls. Though it was Nicole who kissed her and then said it was a mistake._ _

__“It’s a little swollen,” Nicole nodded. She looked at Waverly with all the seriousness she’d ever seen Nicole muster. “So we’ll have to amputate.”_ _

__Waverly looked at Nicole for a beat before realizing she had been trying to tease her too. A slow embarrassed smile grew on Nicole’s face, dimples popping enough to make Waverly hate Nicole again. They both smiled at each other for a moment before Nicole picked up a roll of the medical tape and began to undo it._ _

__“I’m just going to wrap it and we’ll ice it. But you should be careful on it the next few days,” Nicole said taking Waverly’s sock completely off and setting it in her skate. The gesture made Waverly blush and feel self conscious. She shifted a little in her seat as Nicole began to gently roll the tape around her foot. Nicole’s fingers brushed the skin of her foot as she went and tingles ran across Waverly’s scalp._ _

__“Question ten?” Nicole whispered, looking up at Waverly through her lashes, ever unsure._ _

__Waverly hesitated only a moment before nodding._ _

__“Are you still mad at me?”_ _

__Waverly sighed and looked away for a moment. She wished she had something to do with her hands other than having them sit awkwardly at her sides, so she began to take her wrist guards off slowly._ _

__“Yes,” Waverly said, “I am still mad at you.”_ _

__“Because I kissed you?” Nicole asked._ _

__“Yes!” Waverly said before sighing and shaking her head. “No. Not really. I’m mad at you because I wanted you to kiss me more. And because you said I was a mistake.”_ _

__Nicole stopped wrapping her ankle to look at Waverly with something like anger clouding her expression. “I didn’t say _you_ were a mistake. How could you-...no. I said the kiss was a mistake!”_ _

__“Same difference,” Waverly said picking at some stray strands of thread on the couch._ _

__“It’s not. And you know it,” Nicole said going back to wrapping Waverly’s foot. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first moment I met you, Waverly-”_ _

__“Then why didn’t you?” Waverly blurted. She watched a slow smile crawl over Nicole’s face._ _

__“Because, darlin’, that’s not something a gentlewoman does upon first meetin’ a lady,” Nicole said with a slight drawl that made Waverly feel like she was going to faint._ _

__Waverly whispered, “I wouldn’t have minded.”_ _

__Nicole raised an eyebrow and continued. “It wasn’t you. It was the kiss. I knew I shouldn’t have done it. It’s not something that people look highly upon. Coaches and skaters being together. It can get really awkward really quickly. Hell, even inter-league dating is frowned upon. It’s part of the reason I left my old league.”_ _

__Waverly stuck her finger in the hole of the couch and stretched it out as she spoke. “Seems like a silly rule to me.”_ _

__“Well it’s not,” Nicole assured her, “It can really throw off an entire team.”_ _

__Waverly looked at Nicole who was still focused on her ankle. Even through the dull pain as she wrapped the bandage tightly around Waverly’s ankle, she could feel Nicole’s gentle touch. It was in the way she cradled the heel of her foot and ankle. She wanted Nicole. In the most primal sexy way but also just...she just _wanted_ her. She wanted to hold her hand and look into her eyes without worrying if it was a beat too long. She wanted to cuddle her and run her hands through her hair as they watched tv. To drive to practice together and fight over the radio dial. But Nicole had been burned before._ _

__“Nicole, can I ask you a question?” Waverly said._ _

__Nicole nodded, her eyebrows raised skeptically._ _

__“Do you regret it? Everything with your ex? Even if it blew up in the end and got messy. Do you wish it had never happened?” Waverly asked softly._ _

__Nicole’s eyes darted around Waverly’s face as if they were looking for something. Some kind of hint or answer. She licked her lips and shook her head._ _

__“No.”_ _

__“Do you regret our kiss?” Waverly asked, steeling her heart for the answer._ _

__“No,” Nicole said easily. She had finished wrapping Waverly’s ankle but stayed kneeling in front of her._ _

__“Do you think it’s worth it?” Waverly asked quietly._ _

__She didn’t say what, but they both knew the true meaning behind the question. Were _they_ worth it. _ _

__They just stared at each other for a moment. It felt like they were at a precipice. At the edge of something waiting for the fall. For that push that would send them tumbling off the edge and into the unknown. Waverly could feel it hanging in the air around them, crackling like static. The ghost of Nicole’s lips still played on her lips and she looked down at Nicole’s out of habit._ _

__“Question number eleven,” Nicole said, visibly swallowing a lump in her throat. Her hands were resting on either side of Waverly’s thighs on the couch. Long fingers lightly brushed against the outside of her thighs sending Waverly’s nerves aflame. “Would it scare you if I said you were worth everything?”_ _

__Waverly covered Nicole’s hands with her own and ran them up her arms. Her hands bumped clumsily into Nicole’s elbow pads and over them until they smoothed over her shoulders. Waverly cupped Nicole’s neck between her hands and shook her head._ _

__“No. Well...yes. Because I-...you scare me,” Waverly said. She caught Nicole’s disheartened look and shook her head. She shut her eyes to try and gather her thoughts as she spoke again. “No, not in a bad way. Sorry I’m...not very good at this but-...”_ _

__Waverly took a deep breath and opened her eyes back up to see Nicole just staring at her, a small hopeful smile on her face. Waverly smiled back and resisted the urge to just lean over and kiss her. But she knew she owed Nicole an explanation. So Waverly continued._ _

__“You scare me because-...I’ve never felt like this before,” Waverly confessed, “Have you ever met someone and instantly known in your heart that they meant something to you?”_ _

__Nicole’s eyes radiated something Waverly wasn’t quite ready to think about yet when she replied. “I kinda might know something about that...yeah.”_ _

__Waverly’s heart was beating so quickly she was sure Nicole could hear it._ _

__“Nicole, I want to do a lot of things. I want to get out of Unicorns,” Waverly started, “I want to be on an amazing team and kick ass and win the championship but-...when I think about what I want to do most in the world...it’s you.”_ _

__Nicole visibly sighed, her smile widening even as Waverly blushed from her poor choice of words._ _

__“Question twelve,” Nicole whispered even as she got closer to Waverly. She had slotted her body between Waverly’s knees so their faces were only inches apart. “Can I kiss you again, Waverly Earp?”_ _

__Waverly didn’t answer. She just let herself finally close the gap between them and bring their lips together again. Their lips slid together with ease, every hair standing on edge. Somehow their second kiss was more magical than the first. Waverly wondered if it was going to be a new experience each time they kissed after this._ _

___Each time_._ _

__Just the thought made Waverly smile into the kiss and curl her fingers into the soft hairs at the back of Nicole’s skull. She deepened the kiss, tongue testing the waters and brushing along Nicole’s bottom lip. That seemed to be all the redhead needed as far as encouragement. Nicole’s hands cupped the back of Waverly’s thighs, lifting and twisting her so she was lengthwise on the couch. Before Waverly could process what was happening, her back was pressed into the soft cushions of the couch and Nicole was above her._ _

__Waverly let out a soft groan as Nicole pulled Waverly’s knee over her hip, their bodies fitting wonderfully together. It was far from perfect. Waverly had one skate on, Nicole had both of hers on...basically all of their equipment was still on. But the clunky knee and elbow pads didn’t deter them. Neither did the light sheen of sweat on their bodies from the practice they had both been in just a few moments ago._ _

__Waverly’s fingers weaved their way into Nicole’s hair, tugging lightly on the short strands. Nicole’s fingers on her leg tightened as her hips tilted down into Waverly’s. Stars popped in front of Waverly’s eyes and she wondered if she was in heaven._ _

__The sharp sound of a whistle interrupted them and Nicole pulled away quickly. She sat up a little and peeked through the closed blinds presumably to see if anyone was on their way to the first aid office. Waverly’s eyes followed the line of Nicole’s jaw where her short red hair tickled the skin and she sat up, her lips placing soft kisses along that line._ _

__Nicole sighed, eyes fluttering shut as she dropped her hand from the blinds to Waverly’s hip. Waverly could taste the sweat on Nicole’s jaw and it sent a shot of heat directly to her core._ _

__“We should get back to practice,” Nicole breathed out as Waverly pulled her earlobe between her teeth._ _

__“I like this better,” Waverly whispered as her lips just barely ghosted over Nicole’s pulsepoint. She could feel Nicole’s pulse rushing under her lips and smirked. Nicole gently pushed on Waverly’s hip to get her to lay back down. Waverly pouted up at Nicole who was still kneeling between her legs._ _

__“I would really love to continue this,” Nicole said with a smile, “But they’re going to start wondering where we are.”_ _

__“Fine,” Waverly huffed, smile still playing at the corners of her lips. Her hands were running up and down Nicole’s forearms, unable to go too long without feeling her skin. She’d gotten a taste and now she was addicted. “Then when can we continue?”_ _

__“Well, I was wondering if, uh,” Nicole ducked her head shyly, tongue wetting her lips. Waverly already knew she was going to agree with whatever she asked. “If I could take you on a date.”_ _

__Waverly’s heart fluttered like a bird trying to escape its cage. “I’d love that. Tonight?”_ _

__Nicole chuckled warmly and leaned down to kiss Waverly lightly, “Impatient. I can’t do tonight. I have the night shift. What about Monday night?”_ _

__“Monday night works great,” Waverly said._ _

__“Perfect,” Nicole whispered before kissing Waverly again. She tried to deepen it but Nicole pulled away before she could. Waverly let out a frustrated sigh. “Let’s get back to practice. Yeah?”_ _

__“Fine,” Waverly said as Nicole climbed off the couch._ _

__“And you’re definitely done skating for the day,” Nicole said helping her from the couch. Waverly just sighed dramatically._ _

__“Fine. It just means I can watch you from the sidelines better.”_ _

__Nicole laughed and Waverly felt her stomach flutter at the sound._ _

__***_ _

__Their first date went swimmingly. Nicole came to her door dressed in dark jeans and a button up and Waverly almost melted into a puddle. The only other time that she had seen Nicole not in workout clothes was at the holiday party. Surprisingly she hadn’t even seen Nicole when she was working. Not yet anyways._ _

__Waverly could only imagine what Nicole looked like in a cop uniform. If her Calamity Janes uniform did things for Waverly, she could only imagine a police uniform._ _

__“What’s Haught shit doing here?” Wynonna had asked when the sound of a car pulling up to the Homestead alerted them of her arrival._ _

__Waverly ran down the stairs in her skirt and crop top, pulling her shoes on as she went. “She’s here for me.”_ _

__Wynonna turned to look at her sister and did a double take. “Why do you look like you’re hooking on the side of I-9?”_ _

__“Don’t be dramatic,” Waverly said with a roll of her eyes. There was a soft knock at the door and she ran a hand through her hair. “We’re going on a date.”_ _

__“What?!” Wynonna asked incredulously, “A date? With her?”_ _

__“Yep,” Waverly said simply, hoping Nicole couldn’t hear Wynonna practically shrieking through the door. “Now excuse me. My date is here.”_ _

__Nicole took her to a nice dinner in the city. At one point during dinner, Waverly ran her foot over Nicole’s ankle and she dropped her fork loudly on her plate. It got them a few looks, but it was completely worth it. The entire ride home they held hands over the center console. Nicole’s thumb brushed along the side of Waverly’s hand and it made her stomach twist in the most pleasant way possible._ _

__And yes, they did make out in the car when they got back to the Homestead until the windows fogged up._ _

__And yes, the making out continued against the front door when Nicole walked her there. That was, until Wynonna pulled the door open on them and Waverly practically fell through the door. She actually might have if Nicole didn’t catch her around the waist at just the right time._ _

__With one more (very respectful) peck and a hug goodbye, Nicole was gone with the promise of picking Waverly up for the next practice._ _

__***_ _

__Waverly loved when Nicole picked her up for practice. It meant that they could hold hands the whole ride to the warehouse and the whole way back. Sometimes after practice they found themselves volunteering to do little chores around the warehouse. Like organizing the first aid closet or locker rooms. Really, this was just an excuse to have alone time together and make out some more._ _

__After practice they would get coffee or lunch and usually...make out some more._ _

__Waverly felt like a teenager again with all the sneaking around and frantic makeout sessions in the back of cars and in secluded areas of the warehouse._ _

__It was a sort of silent agreement they came to to keep their...whatever they had between them a secret from the league. At least as much of a secret as someone could have in roller derby. Which Waverly was beginning to learn was not much._ _

__Waverly’s hands slipped under Nicole’s ridiculous t-shirt. With how she cut off the sleeves, Waverly could basically see her entire torso through the sides anyways. She had suggested they “clean” the locker room after practice. They attempted to clean for about ten minutes before Nicole backed Waverly against the freestanding lockers in the middle of the room that were more for show than actual use._ _

__Waverly’s fingers smoothed along the flat panes of Nicole’s stomach and trailed along the edge of her sports bra. It was still a damp from practice and on anyone else Waverly might find it off putting, but on Nicole it was one of the sexiest things in the world._ _

__Nicole pulled away from Waverly just long enough to pull her shirt up and over her head. Waverly followed her lead and shucked her tank top to the floor just before Nicole surged forward again. Their hips bumped and the metal of the locker was cold against Waverly’s back but Nicole’s lips were on hers and that was all she noticed._ _

__Nicole’s lips traveled down Waverly’s jaw to her neck and she danced her hands over Nicole’s breasts. A groan reverberated through Nicole’s chest and Waverly tilted her hips towards Nicole’s._ _

__They hadn’t taken the next step in their relationship. Not that Waverly wasn’t ready. She was oh so ready. At first she was nervous and had googled some tips. After all, she’d never been with a woman and wasn’t sure exactly what was the norm. She wasn’t an idiot, she could imagine what had happened and sure...maybe she had indulged in enough sapphic adult content to give her a general idea of how it worked. But she was still nervous._ _

__Nicole had been so sweet and gentle and let Waverly take the reins on how far they went. She always waited for a cue from Waverly before exploring any new territory. It only turned Waverly on even more. She could feel the sexual tension between them building and building and was sure it would spill over at any moment._ _

__Nicole nipped at a particularly sensitive part of Waverly’s neck and she moaned obscenely. Waverly wrapped her leg around Nicole’s hip, the heel of her foot digging into the back of her thigh to bring her closer. Nicole gripped the back of Waverly’s thighs and lifted her into the air as she reconnected their mouths, her legs automatically wrapping around her. Waverly sighed and whispered against Nicole’s lips._ _

__“That was so sexy.”_ _

__Nicole smirked in a way that should have been irritating but Waverly just found it ridiculously charming. “You like that, baby?” she said softly._ _

__Waverly practically melted as she nuzzled their noses together. “Let me show you.”_ _

__She leaned back in to kiss her when the sound of the door opening interrupted them. They froze for a moment from their hidden spot behind the wall of lockers._ _

__“Um, guys,” Fury’s voice came. It snapped them out of their daze and Nicole hastily put Waverly down as they both scrambled for their shirts._ _

__“Yeah? What’s up?” Nicole said quickly throwing her shirt back on and walking out from behind the wall of lockers. She put her arm up against the lockers in a way that Waverly guessed was supposed to look casual but only looked more awkward. Especially with how Nicole’s face was flushed and lips swollen._ _

__Waverly quickly slipped on her own shirt and picked up a disinfecting wipe to pretend like she was wiping down the lockers. She heard Fury’s footsteps come into the room and peak around the lockers to look at Waverly. She smiled at her and tried to look normal even if her cheeks were burning._ _

__“I just...wanted to know if you two had signed up for volunteer shifts for the game next week,” Fury said looking between the two._ _

__“Oh, um...yeah I’ll do that when I get home,” Waverly said hoping Fury was going to leave soon to get them out of this awkward situation._ _

__“Mhm, me too,” Nicole said with an exaggerated smile._ _

__Fury frowned and looked between the two of them with a small smile. “Okay,” she said before walking back towards the door. She closed it slowly behind her and Waverly breathed a sigh of relief. But then a moment later the door opened again and Fury popped her head in._ _

__“Oh, by the way, it’s totally obvious you two are fucking. See you later!” she shut the door behind her again and Nicole and Waverly just stood there mortified._ _

__***_ _

___Waverly: Is it bad people know we’re together?_ _ _

___Nicole: No. I don’t think so. Plus I think Fury is just extra observant._ _ _

___Waverly: Hm. Okay._ _ _

___Nicole: We just have to be...more careful. Just in case. It won’t be as much of a problem when you’re not in Unicorns anymore._ _ _

___Waverly: Nicole._ _ _

___Nicole: Waverly._ _ _

___Waverly: If you wanted to...back off...you would tell me. Right?_ _ _

___Nicole: I don’t want to back off._ _ _

___Waverly: But you would tell me?_ _ _

___Nicole: Yes. Absolutely. But you’re worth everything that might come our way. You know that, right?_ _ _

___Waverly: I...goddamn it, Nicole._ _ _

___Nicole: ...what?_ _ _

___Waverly: I really like you._ _ _

___Nicole: I really like you too._ _ _

___Waverly: Want to come over?_ _ _

___Nicole: I’ll be there in a half hour._ _ _

__***_ _

__Mind blowing._ _

__It was a phrase Waverly had seen other girls use to describe sex but she always thought it was over exaggerated. She would roll her eyes and shake her head at the ridiculousness of it. Champ was the only other person she’d ever slept with and he was fine. Competent. But that was about it. Her pool of potential partners was small in a small town, but still._ _

__Waverly always had more success on her own when it came to pleasure._ _

__But with Nicole._ _

__Well._ _

__Waverly finally understood what other people had been raving about._ _

__It felt like Nicole would bring her to the edge and dangle her there. A terrifying and exhilarating feeling only made more amazing when Nicole took her off the ledge and they fell together. The two weeks they’d been making out were basically two weeks of sexual foreplay and Waverly was more than ready to show Nicole how she felt._ _

__They came together like a match striking the box, a flame erupted between them. Hot and burning but instead of the flame dwindling down it just got bigger. Nicole’s hands on her skin were like fire and electricity and everything that Waverly was terrified of but needed. Being with Nicole was like taking her first sip of water after being stranded in a desert. Waverly kept drinking her in thinking she would be satisfied eventually, but only grew more parched. She couldn’t get enough of her._ _

__They stayed tangled in each other, bodies rocking together until they both practically passed out from exhaustion. Waverly woke up sometime in the night with Nicole’s arms wrapped tightly around her. Her face was pressed into Nicole’s collarbone, their legs tangled together to the point that Waverly couldn’t tell where she ended and Nicole began._ _

__Her body ached deliciously as she stirred, pressing a soft kiss to Nicole’s collarbone. She could still taste their combined sweat on her chest and groaned, a fire starting in her belly again. She felt Nicole hum, the sound reverberating through her chest and into Waverly’s lips._ _

__“Go ‘ack to sleep, baby,” Nicole murmured, tightening her arms around Waverly’s body. Waverly wiggled a little and she felt Nicole chuckle. “You’re not going back to sleep, hm?”_ _

__Waverly pulled back a little so that she could look up at Nicole. She shook her head and Nicole pressed a kiss to her forehead. In one move, Nicole flipped them so Waverly was on her back and Nicole was over her. She slotted perfectly between Waverly’s thighs and she should have been embarrassed with how wantonly she wrapped her legs around Nicole’s waist, but she couldn’t bring herself to care._ _

__Nicole looked down at her, red hair beautifully tousled and a small smile on her face. There was something in her eyes that made Waverly’s heart flip and she bit her lip as she ran her hands through Nicole’s hair, trying to tame it._ _

__“Question thirteen,” Nicole whispered before she placed soft kisses across Waverly’s chest._ _

__Waverly sighed, “Are you still playing that game?”_ _

__Sharp teeth bit purposefully into the top of Waverly’s breast and her hips jumped up towards Nicole._ _

__“Yes, I still have some questions left out of my twenty,” Nicole teased before soothing the bite with her tongue. Waverly melted into the mattress below her. “Now question thirteen.”_ _

__“Question thirteen,” Waverly repeated as Nicole’s kisses continued up the column of her throat. Her legs tightened around Nicole’s waist as the other woman pulled away, propping herself up on her elbows to look at Waverly._ _

__“Waverly, will you be my girlfriend?” Nicole whispered. There was a nervous smile playing on the corners of her mouth, eyes wide and hopeful. It was so apparent even with the only lighting in the room being the moon shining through the window. Waverly felt her heart burst in her chest and her fingers tightened in Nicole’s hair to bring her down for a bruising kiss. After a few moments they pulled apart for air and Nicole’s smile only got wider._ _

__“Is that a yes?”_ _

__“Yes, absolutely a thousand times yes,” Waverly said before placing soft kisses all over Nicole’s face._ _

__Nicole laughed and captured Waverly’s lips once more. “Good. Because if you think I’m letting you go now, you’re crazy,” Nicole whispered. Waverly’s heart tripped and split in two, filling her with warmth in a way that should have scared her. But in Nicole’s arms, she couldn’t feel safer._ _

__***_ _

__Waverly was falling hard._ _

__She felt like she was tumbling down a hill but didn’t want to stop. Even if maybe she should. She would take a step back to try and stop the motion but then one look in Nicole’s eyes and she was falling again._ _

__Wynonna knew. She wasn’t happy about her baby sister dating her “biggest rival” on the league, but once Waverly convinced her it wasn’t Nicole trying to get some kind of weird intel out of her she accepted it._ _

__They decided to keep it on the down low from the rest of the league. They didn’t want people prying into this new thing. They just wanted to keep it to themselves for a little bit. Even if Fury was convinced that everyone knew anyways. It didn’t matter to them in their small little bubble they had created for themselves._ _

__***_ _

__Waverly’s back hit the hard concrete of the ground and she grimaced. She huffed in annoyance and sprung back on her feet as quickly as she could manage. She looked at the source of her frustration and saw Haught looking back at her with a barely there grin. It only made the anger inside her flare higher._ _

__“You have to get lower,” Haught said already getting low in derby stance for the next hit, “Here, let me hit you again.”_ _

__Waverly crossed her arms in front of her chest and shot Haught a look. Her girlfriend. Nicole usually but Haught because they were practicing and Waverly was annoyed with her. It was their last Unicorn practice before moving up to the subpool where they could start scrimmaging and Waverly was convinced Nicole was being mean on purpose._ _

__She thought it would be fun to pair together for hitting drills. Little did she know that Haught would be such a bully._ _

__“You’re just going to keep knocking me over,” Waverly said resisting the pout that was pulling on her bottom lip. Haught stood up and looked around the track. Everyone was paired up, hitting and being hit...and a lot of falling._ _

__“Everyone is doing the same thing, Waves,” Haught said pointedly, “I’m not going to take it easy on you. You need to learn.”_ _

__Waverly frowned at Haught, arms crossing tighter in front of her chest as she started her down. “You’re saying you would hit someone else this hard?”_ _

__“Yes!” Haught said throwing her arms up in frustration, “And I’m your coach. I’m not going to stand here and argue with you about this. Get in derby position and hit me.”_ _

__“I don’t want to,” Waverly hissed._ _

__“Too fucking bad,” Nicole said flatly, “I’m your partner for this drill and you’re going to do it until I say we’re done.”_ _

__After one more second of throwing daggers at Haught, Waverly skated a little behind her. She was determined to at least knock her over a _little_ bit. Haught was bigger than her and...maybe a little stronger. But Waverly was determined. She took a deep breath and began to skate as fast as she could towards Haught. When she got to her, she got low in derby position and hit Haught’s hip with her own. _ _

__It felt like hitting a brick wall._ _

__Waverly bounced off her hip and hit the ground right on her ass. The bloom of pain she felt only served to piss her off more. She looked up just in time to see Nicole skating towards her and offering a hand to help her up. Waverly pushed Nicole’s hand away angrily and got up on her own._ _

__“I’m done with this,” Waverly said skating off towards the locker room. She didn’t want to cause a scene. That wasn’t her intention. She was just so _mad_._ _

__It was the end of practice, she was exhausted and she couldn’t get the hit right for the life of her. Her shirt was so soaked in sweat that it clung to her so she plucked at it. She was sure it was Nicole’s fault. Nicole didn’t have to be so mean about everything just because she was better than Waverly. She made it to the locker room and slammed the door behind her._ _

__Waverly sat hard on the bench and began pulling off her wrist guards, throwing them angrily onto the ground. She then ripped her skates off and kept pulling her other gear off. Nicole skated into the locker room and Waverly rolled her eyes._ _

__“So you’re done with practice then?” Nicole said with her hands on her hips._ _

__“Yes,” Waverly said with a raise of her eyebrow._ _

__“You won’t get full attendance credit.”_ _

__“I don’t care.”_ _

__“Waverly-”_ _

__“I don’t want to hear it, Nicole!” Waverly said as she ripped her final knee pad off._ _

__Nicole frowned and got closer to her. “Hey! You can’t talk to me like that. I’m your coach-”_ _

__“You’re my _girlfriend_ -”_ _

__“Yeah, but here I’m your coach,” Nicole said easily, “You can’t talk to me like that in front of the other girls.”_ _

__Waverly scoffed, “Why? Can’t talk to the big derby star like that?”_ _

__Nicole took her helmet off and ran a hand through her messy locks in frustration. “See. This is why they say you shouldn’t date in derby.”_ _

__“So maybe we should stop dating,” Waverly said before she could stop the words from tumbling out._ _

__“Seriously?” Nicole asked incredulously, “Because I hit you too hard?”_ _

__Waverly stood up and pointed at Nicole triumphantly, “So you admit it was too hard!”_ _

__“No! It was the appropriate level of hardness,” Nicole insisted._ _

__“You just said it was too hard!” Waverly said getting so close to Nicole that their bodies were practically touching. But with Nicole on her skates she was easily a foot and a half taller than Waverly. Not very intimidating on Waverly’s part._ _

__“Waverly! Drop it!” Nicole shouted._ _

__“No!” Waverly said poking Nicole hard in the chest. “Admit that you were wrong.”_ _

__Nicole stared down at Waverly and Waverly looked up at her. Honestly it was hurting her neck but she wasn’t about to back down now. Nicole’s nostrils were flaring angrily, beads of sweat going down the side of her face and chest heaving. Waverly hated how hot she looked when she was trying to be mad at her._ _

__She watched Nicole’s eyes dart down to her lips and before she could make her own move, her back hit the lockers and Nicole’s lips were on her own. Her hands balled the front of Nicole’s shirt in her hands as she lifted Waverly up so their height difference wasn’t so apparent. Waverly wrapped her legs around Nicole’s waist and moaned into the kiss, deepening it._ _

__Nicole pressed her hips into Waverly to keep her up against the wall as she quickly rid herself of her wrist guards. As soon as they clattered to the floor, her hands were up Waverly’s shirt and she arched into Nicole._ _

__Their kissing was pure passion. All teeth and tongue, pulling at each other and trying to prove dominance. Waverly had never been more turned on in her life. She pulled at Nicole’s shirt with no real purpose other than she wanted to be as close to her as possible, even with their bodies completely flush with each other._ _

__Nicole pulled Waverly away from the lockers and skated her over to the bench in the middle of the two rows of lockers. She carefully laid Waverly down on it and covered her body with her own. Nicole straddled the bench and pulled Waverly’s hips up onto her lap so that her legs could still wrap around Nicole’s waist._ _

__Waverly groaned and Nicole’s long body bent over her as they continued kissing._ _

__“Nicole, I need you,” Waverly panted, pressing her hips up into her in demonstration._ _

__Nicole moaned and slipped her hand into the front of Waverly’s workout pants. Waverly’s hips jumped into her as long fingers slipped through her wetness. She should be embarrassed by how wet she was, but she really didn’t care right now._ _

__Nicole’s fingers circled Waverly’s entrance and she moaned, flexing her hips to get Nicole where she needed her most. Nicole pulled away from kissing her with a smirk on her face._ _

__“This depends, baby,” she said, her voice low, “Are you going to complain about it being too hard again?”_ _

__Waverly hated that Nicole saying that made her entire body light on fire. She pulled Nicole down by her shirt and hissed against her lips. “Just shut up and fuck me.”_ _

__Nicole kissed her deeply and Waverly hoped they couldn’t hear their moans back on the track._ _

__***_ _

__“I’m sorry I got mad at you,” Waverly whispered as she ran her hands through Nicole’s damp locks from where her head laid on Waverly’s chest._ _

__Nicole just sighed and leaned into Waverly’s hands. “ ‘s okay.”_ _

__They were still laying on the wooden bench of the locker room, shirts and equipment long tossed onto the floor. The bench was uncomfortable, but Waverly was too spent to move and so was Nicole by the looks of it._ _

__“I’m sorry I got frustrated,” Waverly said biting her lip._ _

__“It’s okay,” Nicole said lifting her head just enough to place a soft kiss on Waverly’s bare chest. “And I’m sorry I was harsh.”_ _

__Waverly sighed in content. “I did like how we made up though.”_ _

__Nicole laughed. “Yeah well. We should probably not do that during practice anymore.”_ _

__“If you say so,” Waverly said with a smile, eyes drifting shut for whatever few moments of peace they had left._ _

__***_ _

__“How do I look?”_ _

__Waverly walked out of Nicole’s bathroom with Nicole’s spare jersey and a skirt on. Nicole was sitting on the floor of her living room changing her wheels for the game, still in a t-shirt and her workout pants. When she looked up from her work and saw Waverly, her eyes widened and she dropped her skate tool._ _

__“Is that my jersey?” she breathed out._ _

__Waverly bit back a giggle, “Yeah.” She put her hands on her hips and turned so that Nicole could see her name and number on the back. “Do you like it? I wasn’t sure if it was your thing.”_ _

__“Oh baby, that’s everybody’s thing,” Nicole said pushing her wheels and skates to the side and reaching out for Waverly. She pulled Waverly down into her lap and they both laughed, small kisses falling between them._ _

__It was the championship game of the season between the Calamity Janes and Peacemakers. Wynonna hadn’t shut up about it for weeks. Especially when Nicole was around the Homestead. Waverly knew Wynonna was all show though. Even if she pretended she had a grudge against Nicole, she knew there was a soft spot for her in there somewhere._ _

__“Won’t Wynonna be upset?” Nicole said as her eyes scanned over the logo on the front of the the jersey, her hands firm on Waverly’s hips._ _

__Waverly rolled her eyes, arms draped over Nicole’s shoulders. “I have a sign for her. I’m going to be cheering on my sister and my best baby.”_ _

__Nicole smiled so widely Waverly was sure she’d go blind._ _

__***_ _

__After being assured that Wynonna wouldn’t hate her if the Calamity Janes won the game, Waverly left Nicole in the locker room with a small kiss. They had decided that the end of the season was as good a time as any to stop caring if people knew they were together or not. Waverly was wearing Nicole’s jersey, after all. It didn’t get much more obvious than that. Plus, she could tell her girlfriend was nervous and that wasn’t a thing that usually happened to her before games. So Waverly was going to try and make her feel better and if that meant a kiss in front of her teammates she was all in._ _

__At halftime, Waverly had nervously drunk her way through...well she’d lost count of how many whiskeys she’d had. The points had been close the entire game._ _

__Now with only one jam left, the Peacemakers were up by eleven points. Wynonna was two penalties away from fouling out and Nicole had been the main target for a lot of big hits during the game. Waverly could see it was starting to get to her...probably physically more than anything. Even from the stands she could see Nicole’s arms were peppered with bruises and she had one blooming on her jaw from a bad shoulder hit._ _

__Dolls had called a timeout for the Peacemakers and Waverly saw him talking to Wynonna and her line of blockers. He looked extra serious, which was saying something for him. Wynonna nodded to whatever he was saying and shrugged. Nicole was on the jam line with her blockers. They were all standing in a circle, arms around each other and heads bent in a huddle._ _

__There was only a minute left in the game and really, it could go to anyone at this point. Eleven points wasn’t hard to catch up to. Waverly’s stomach apprehensively and she drained the last of her drink. Becky was beside her also cheering for both teams. She’d squealed and hugged Waverly tightly when she saw her in Haught’s jersey._ _

__“Your girl’s doin’ good,” she said with a wink. Waverly bit her lip and nodded._ _

__“She is, isn’t she. They both are,” Waverly said. She waved her sign that read “Go Blood” to emphasize her point. The timeout was coming to an end and everyone took their place on the track. Wynonna stood right in the middle of the track behind the jam line so that Calamity Janes’ jammer, Hermione Rager, had to stand towards the edge of the track. It was silent as the announcer spoke._ _

___”Alright, folks, this is it. The last jam of the Purgatory Roller Derby championship game between Peacemakers and Calamity Janes. Peacemakers are in the lead with one hundred and eighty-two points versus Calamity Janes with one hundred and seventy-one. It really is anyone’s game right now.”_ _ _

__There was a whistle signaling the end of the timeout and all the players got in their positions. Haught’s eyes were focused on Wynonna and Wynonna only. If the Peacemakers got lead jammer all they would have to do is run the clock and make sure the Calamity Janes didn’t get any points so they could win. But if the Calamity Janes got lead all bets were off._ _

__“Five seconds!” a referee called. Waverly felt like she was holding her breath until the whistle sounded and the jam was on. Wynonna launched herself into the back of the pack but Nicole’s wall stayed firm, barely rolling forward. Rager was juking and trying to break up the Peacemaker’s wall but it was hardly working. Wynonna had pushed the Calamity Janes blockers forward a little more, their wall breaking up._ _

__Wynonna juked Haught and tried to squeeze past her to keep lead jammer. Haught caught her just in time for Rager to get out of the pack and get lead jammer. Waverly saw Wynonna cuss for a moment but she quickly moved and got past Haught just behind Rager._ _

___Rager has lead jammer but Blood is right behind her!_ _ _

__Wynonna got in front of the other jammer and turned around. She started to block Rager, stopping her from making it around the track and burning the clock._ _

___We have some jammer on jammer D happening! Blood is trying to run down the game clock and secure the win for Peacemakers!_ _ _

__Rager tried to get past Wynonna but she was doing an awesome job of keeping Rager behind her. The pack basically just stood and watched, yelling at their jammers in encouragement. Wynonna looked at the clock, forty seconds left._ _

__Waverly felt her palms sweating as they continued. Waverly watched as Nicole skated up at full speed and swept Wynonna to the side of the track so that Rager could get past her. Wynonna, not expecting the hit, fell and Nicole tripped over her and tumbled on top of her._ _

__One of the referees whistled for a penalty on Wynonna as they both got up._ _

___”Oo, looks like Blood is going to the box with a low block penalty for tripping Haught with her skate!”_ _ _

__Waverly cringed as Wynonna cussed out the referee. She couldn’t hear what she was saying but Waverly was sure she was saying that it was a bad call. The referee blew another whistle just as Rager was skating back around to score points._ _

___”Looks like Blood got a misconduct penalty on top of her low block for yelling at the ref! That’s going to cost her a whole minute in the box. Just as Rager is coming up on her scoring pass!_ _ _

__Wynonna skated towards the penalty box, arms flailing in anger and she sat down on the penalty bench. Waverly watched as Rager got through the back with help from her team, scoring the Calamity Janes five more points._ _

___The score is now one hundred and seventy-six to one hundred and eighty-two points. The Calamity Janes just need seven more points to take the game!”_ _ _

__Waverly looked over at the Peacemakers’ bench where Dolls and the rest of the team were staring blankly at the track. Dolls looked stoic but Waverly was sure he was boiling on the inside._ _

__Rager came back around and got a second scoring pass of five more points just as Wynonna had ten seconds left in the box._ _

___Rager just needs two more points to win! Can she do it before Blood gets more points for the Peacemakers?_ _ _

__Waverly saw her bouncing on her toes, ready to go back in and stop the Calamity Janes from winning. Rager saw Wynonna almost out of the box and skated harder to get around the track faster and back to the back of the pack. Wynonna got out of the box just as Rager hit the Peacemaker blockers._ _

__Waverly watched with bated breath and counted how many of the Peacemaker blockers Rager passed. She counted one, two and a third one! Rager tapped her hips to call off the jam just as Wynonna came up to the pack. The referees blew the whistles to end the game and Wynonna came to a quick stop._ _

__Everyone stared at the scoreboard, watching as the points ticked up._ _

__Peacemakers: 182_ _

__Calamity Janes: 184_ _

__Nicole and her teammates threw their arms up in celebration and Waverly let out a breath. She cheered as Nicole looked up at the stands beaming. Waverly beamed back and blew her a kiss. But her eyes then found Wynonna who was sitting on her bench looking dejected._ _

__She left the stands and went over to Wynonna, throwing her arms around her in a hug._ _

__“You did good,” Waverly said kissing the side of Wynonna’s head. Wynonna rolled her eyes and pushed Waverly away gently. But she saw the small smile on her sister’s lips and Waverly knew she’d be fine._ _

__“Yeah yeah,” Wynonna said standing up. “But your girl did better.”_ _

__Waverly shrugged despite the smile on her lips. “You both did great.”_ _

__She felt an arm snake over her shoulders and leaned into the familiar embrace. She looked up at Nicole and smiled before Nicole looked back at Wynonna._ _

__“Good game,” Nicole said offering her hand. “That was a good hit back there.”_ _

__Wynonna stared at her hand for a moment before taking it. “Yeah well, if you could take a hit, it would have been a lot better.”_ _

__Nicole laughed and pulled Wynonna into a one armed hug. Wynonna seemed shocked at first but patted her back anyways._ _

__“Alright, alright,” Wynonna said pulling away and straightening her jersey. “Now come on, love birds. We may have lost the championship, but I’m sure as hell going to win the after party.”_ _

__Waverly rolled her eyes just as Nicole pulled her in against her chest. “You were my good luck charm,” Nicole said with a grin._ _

__Waverly beamed and ran her hands over the front of Nicole’s jersey. “You looked really sexy out there.”_ _

__Nicole wiggled her eyebrows at Waverly and kissed her softly. There were a few wolf whistles from their surrounding teammates and it made Waverly smile into the kiss._ _

__“Maybe we should just go home,” Waverly said, “Skip the after party.”_ _

__“We gotta go for a little bit, baby,” Nicole said kissing Waverly once more._ _

__Waverly sighed, “Fine. But we’ll have time together, just you and me, afterwards?”_ _

__Nicole smiled widely and pressed their foreheads together. “Waverly, we have all the time in the world.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to yell at me, find me here [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz) or here [Tumblr](http://bootz-n-catz.tumblr.com).


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